Love and Servitude
by maryking
Summary: The knights get a surprise when they discover another group of Sarmatian kinghts under Rome's rule ... will it lead to love or hatred! No slash. Read and Review please xo
1. Chapter 1

**So after watching the King Arthur film I had this idea so I decided I try it out and see what I got, so I hope you like. xo **

Chapter 1 – Alex's POV

I rolled my eyes for the umpteenth time as my mistress who was yet again complaining about the continuing rain. As I glanced across at my four sisters, well not by blood at least but after eleven years of servitude together after being taken from our families and homeland what else could you call them, they seemed to be as amused as myself at our mistress's obvious distress.

"Elhanan we have been her for nearly two weeks have you not yet become accustomed to such weather?"Carrie our second in command asked with a slight chuckle. Mistress Elhanan's pouting face spoke louder than any words could have. Yet it was true, since we had landed in Britannia two weeks ago there had been no break in the rain and it was making our journey to Hadrian's Wall a slower and more painstaking one.

"It constantly rains here! Why do we have to travel in this god awful weather?" Elhanan wined further, it was a pity she was used to the heat only Rome could offer her. If she hadn't been a kind mistress to my sisters and me over the years we had served under her family I would have murdered her with one of my daggers a long time ago.

"And what do you smile about Alex?" Sarah called over the rain as it drowned out most noise around us.

"I smile sister because I find it amusing that our _beloved _mistress complains so much about the rain, yet she is the one who sits in a dry carriage while we ride alongside her soaked to the bone." An undignified huff came from inside the carriage which resulted in a round a chuckles from all of us.

"Must you always be like that Alex?" Tania questioned. As the youngest she was the most innocent even though she had seen as much bloodshed as the rest of us and always was the first to defend those weaker than ourselves, one day it would be her downfall.

"After eleven bloody years Tan' have you stilled not realised that the only reason Alex's ever speaks for is to insult you, give you advice you never want to hear but that is always right or to talk to that dog of hers?" Carrie chuckled but continued more seriously, "Then you must have been asleep all these long years and that I would be jealous of."

"I'm surprised you could have made such an in-depth study on Alex over the years Carrie because I was under the impression the only thing you were good at was drink ale." Called Sarah; yet again having to save Tania from being Carrie's constant teasing. After the death of Tania's sister Sarah had taken Tania in under her wing and stopped her from withdrawing completely in on herself.

Sarah's low comment had even managed to get Beth's lips to curl at the edges a feat not easily managed as the ever quite herbalist rarely spoke, but also gained her a steady death glare from Carrie.

"And I'm surprised Sarah, that you have managed anything over the years as it always seems to me that end up on your back." Spat Carrie, I chuckled quietly to myself as she always did have the easiest temper to rile up out of all of us.

"That's enough all of you!" Elhanan ordered as she stuck her head out of the carriage window. "I know none of you like riding in this awful weather and that it makes you a group of grumpy fools but can we please not fight? I won't have you fighting between yourselves. You fought alongside each other for eleven years, lost sisters protecting me and I won't allow you to end up killing yourselves." Carrie and Sarah had the decency to look sheepish throughout Elhanan's speech but we all bowed are heads on respect as Elhanan mentioned are fallen comrades.

"Alex, how much longer do we have to spend out in this god awful weather?" Carrie asked breaking the silence that had fallen upon us.

"Artorius Castus and his men should be meeting us in the next village in two days." I answered with a slight shrug. "We should reach the village in the next couple of hours."

"Will it give us long enough to make preparations for the next leg of our journey then?" Elhanan questioned still half hanging out of the carriage's window.

"Never were the adventurer Elhanan?" Sarah sly asked, receiving only a rude gesture from Elhanan, "Not a very Roman ladylike gesture mistress." Sarah called giving a mocking bow.

"Aye Elhanan, we will have enough time to refresh our rations and clean up a bit." I answered Elhanan's first question ignoring Sarah's insult.

"Good. All of you are to wear you proper uniforms when we meet Artorius and his men." A collective group of groans sprang from all are throats, "I know you hate your uniforms but until you are free you are still under Roman's order thus wear the proper military uniform upon meeting them."

"Yes and what I shitty order that is." Sarah let out in a sneer; it was now Elhanan's turn to roll her eyes. Over the years we had had this same argument time and time again.

"You will wear your uniform Sarah; do not make me force you again." There was a silent pause as we remembered the punishment me all had went through. Any order that went unfulfilled normally resulted in a whipping; we all bared those scares though Sarah's most recent lot came from refusing to put the proper uniform on.

"What will we do one you marry Elhanan?" Tania was now the one to break the silence with a question that lied heavy on all our minds, a deep sigh left Elhanan before she answered.

"You are to be put under the care of Artorius Castus himself, you will fight alongside his Sarmatian knights.

"What? We are to become yet again dogs for a Roman to play with?" Carrie screeched, turning in her saddle to look directly at Elhanan.

"Carrie shut it!" I growled out, "None of us like what the future hold for us, but we have four more years under Rome's thumb, if you're scared I'll kill you now myself. Save you the burden we all bloody share!" I knew I was being cruel but she was being selfish we had all being forced into this life she was not alone in her pain.

"I want to go home! I just want my freedom!" We all did but it was Sarah who remembered most of our homeland but what came with all those memories was worse though, as she felt a longing for home that the rest of us could only imagine.

"Carrie, Alex is right and you know it, calm yourself and think." Beth spoke calmly and with authority that Carrie's short temper could not fight. "You think that Elhanan had any choice in the way we were enslaved? No she didn't, just like she has no choice over the way we are to serve Rome. Think of what you have heard of Arthur Castus, he is a good and just leader to his men. Sarmatian's just like us! Maybe it will not be as bad as you believe it to be."

We rode the next four miles to the village in silence the weight of Beth's words pressing down on us. What she said was true and we all knew it. It went unsaid but we all knew when we met Arthur Castus and his men that we would give them the chance that they deserved but until then it was time to rest and repair for the journey to Hadrian's Wall.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer – Anything you recognise from the King Arthur film does not belong to be **** unfortunately xo **

Chapter 2 – Tristan's POV

We were all sitting around the table in the Great Hall waiting for Arthur to join us and tell us our next mission. I picked up an apple from the centre of the table and as I started to peal it with my knife I let my mind wandered to what could have caused the messenger to be in such a rush, it had taken Jols ages to calm the man's poor animal down. With a glance round the table I could see Galahad slouching on the table, obviously he had drank too much of Vanora's ale last night I hid a smile under my beard. Just then the heavy oak doors of the Great Hall slammed open, bouncing of the stoned walls with the strength Arthur had applied to them.

As we stood Arthur strode around the table to his seat avoiding the oil lamps that lit up the room, "Knights..." He hadn't slept last night I thought as I noticed the deep purple colouring under his eyes, as he sat down heavily he continued, "As you all know a messenger was sent to me late last night."

Arthur passed waiting for some signal that we were actually paying attention to him with a group of deep growls and a silent nod from me he continued in a gruff tone.

"Our mission is to retrieve the Popes niece, Elhanan from a village a day's ride form here and bring her here, to the fort where she is to marry Lord Antonio." He let out a deep sigh; he wasn't telling us something I could tell by the way his shoulders slumped downwards and the way his head hung slightly.

"Why was the messenger in such a rush? The village you speak of is safe from Woad's why hurry? The Roman girl seems to be fine. She is the Popes own niece he'd hardly leave her unprotected!" Lancelot chuckled at his own opinion before inquiring, "What kind of protection does she have with her at the moment?" The wince that Arthur tried to hide after that question was asked didn't go unnoticed by me.

"Her protection, it isn't Roman is it?" I asked looking up through my fringe, seemingly unmoved by my own question while my brothers heads all snapped up they looked at me first then turned their searching stares towards Arthur.

"I don't understand?" Galahad spoke up; the pup was never that quick if the mark being the youngest of us all gave him the ability to still be naive at times.

"I shouldn't even be surprised you would pick up on that small bit of information should I Tristan?" Arthur shuck his head and laughed but it was hollow, "Your right, it isn't Roman, its Sarmatian." Even I couldn't hide my surprise at his answer.

It had been years since we had met any of our Sarmatian brothers and the fact that they were protecting the Roman girl just showed us how important the Pope believed his niece to be and coincidently how important our mission was. The Roman's might treat us like dogs but even if they were reluctant to admit it, unless tortured, they knew that we were the best at what we did. Killing had become as easy as breathing to us since they ripped us from our homeland and forced us to serve Rome and their _God_.

"When do we leave?" Dagonet broke the silence reminding us that we were actually gathered here for a reason, we all shock of our surprise on hearing we could dwell on our new brother's presence on this island later, before Arthur replied he rubbed his face with his hands the strain of all this could be seen even to the most unskilled soldier.

"Elhanan's scout sent the messenger, they were to arrive in the village as of last night and they wish us to meet them tomorrow. Elhanan's scout seems to be under the impression they are being followed but by what it is unknown as Elhanan's family has many enemies." Laying his head back in his chairs he continued ignoring the mummers that arose because of his last comment, "We leave at first light, we will ride hard and reach the village by late afternoon. Are there any questions?"

"Will we be spending the night in the village?" I asked, if we were I would needed to speak with this woman's scout, I would need to see some evidence that they were being followed to see what security would be necessary on the journey home and to see if we could identify who or what was following them.

"Yes, but we travel out of the village by first light." At his answer I nodded my thanks at him.

"What kind of weaponry will we need?" Gawain asked as he wiped his blonde locks behind his shoulder with a slight wince the wound in his shoulder not completely healed from our last encounter with the Woad's. "We're in the middle of Woad season!" My lips curled at the edges, he didn't want to go to battle again, not when he wasn't at his full strength anyway as he would be unable to enact the proper amount of revenge.

"True," Scrubbing his face once again Arthur turned to me. "Tristan I give you full control on what we will need from the armoury, you have any questions on weapons go to Tristan." With a wave of his hand the subject was closed, "Be ready to go by first light we meet at the stables and have enough rations to do the journey back as we will not be staying long at this village. Until then, bar your reparations, get some rest the next couple of days are going to lack any form of relaxation for any of us."

I watched as Arthur left the Great Hall, Lancelot quick on his heels probably to complain yet again about going to the aid of a Roman. As I rose and moved into the shadows I saw Gawain help Galahad up from the table, the pup was going to need some help getting his gear ready for tomorrow's mission and I heard Bors talking to Dagonet about the future meeting with the Roman's Sarmatian guard. With a shake of my head I began thinking about the weapons we would need for our journey, I could think about are new found _friends_ later. We would need enough weapons for a protection run and enough that what be effective if we were ambushed by Woad's, this was going to be a long couple of days, I thought stiffly.

**Hey so this is the first two chapters and I'd like your read back **** love it, hate it? Creative criticism is welcome thanks xo **


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 – Alex's POV

The sun was high in the sky as I walked towards the bath house, mud coated me from head to toe, and even though I never minded the mud it was the insistent nagging from Elhanan the annoyed me. When I walked into her rooms to announce my return she had went off in one of her rants about how I should have bathed _'the vial caked stuff off'_ before coming into the room. I had simply rolled my eyes at her irksome spiel and walked out of the room, I had spent since dusk the previous night till then scouting around the surrounding forest of the village we were staying in trying to find some clue as to who was following us but was unable to find anything but nearly washed away tracks. _Hopefully when Arthur's scout arrives tomorrow we will have more luck_, I thought to myself as I stripped off my sopping tunic, breaches and binding, I would have to ask one of the others when I returned to Elhanan's rooms to redo it I thought with a sigh. The binding was necessary we had discovered very early on as it made everything easier during a fight. The water was warm as I sat down heavily in it, the heat helping to relax my aching muscles and dissolving away the mud encrusted to my skin.

"Did you find anything?" Carrie asked from the door, I had heard her approach but ignored her hoping she would leave after seeing I had indeed followed Elhanan's orders to wash of the mud and let me have some peace, _obviously not_.

"Nothing," I said with a shrug as I lay my head back against the edge of the bath closing my eyes, eager to blank out the world around me and rest for a bit.

"But we are being followed?" Full of questions when I wanted nothing but silence. My head ached and Carrie's chirpy voice did nothing to help ease the throbbing pain in it.

"Yes."

"More than a one word answers Alex!" Her tone and order made my eyes snap open and my head turn in her direction. She wasn't my master she was a slave just like me, I did not answer to her. "Look, I'm sorry Alex," Carrie quickly apologised noticing my penetrating glare. "I just need to know how to make sure Elhanan stays safe. Help me, please." She explained in an exaggerated tone.

"You'll need to find a spare set of clothes, a pair of breaches and a tunic. Get rid of the carriage as well, for when Arthur and his men arrive we need to move as quickly as possible to Hadrian's Wall. The clothes and carriage would draw to much attention and the person following us will be looking out for the carriage." Giving my full opinion I went back to resting, the water was cooling and I'd have to get out soon I thought with a shake of my head alas I would not be allowed to enjoy the waters easing powers as much as I had hoped. "If you're staying longer you might as well help me with my binding while you question my judgement further." Thinking quickly I saved myself the wait to be bided, anything could happen and I'd rather be prepared fully before I left to meet with Elhanan again.

"Elhanan says you are to stay in the village tonight, so no scouting." Carrie continued as she lifted the length of wool binding winding it round her hand as I stepped from the waters of the bath. "You are to get some sleep on her orders and we will be taking watch over her from inside and outside her room in turn." I nod as she continues relaying what I had missed from being away all morning. "We gathered enough rations and getting clothes shouldn't be too hard but the carriage, how will we handle that?"

I grunted as she pulled the binding harder than I had expected before I answered her, "Keep the horses from the carriage but sell the carriage itself just before we leave. We won't attract too much attention that way as we would if we sold it now or tomorrow." With a nod of her head signalling she was finished I stepped away from her and continued dressing.

"Tomorrow Sarah, Beth and you will wait for Artorius and his knights just outside the village while I and Tania will stay with Elhanan in her rooms."

"Tania doesn't like being away from Sarah." I mused.

"I know that, but that's where I need her so she'll be there. Elhanan will worry until the knight's stand in front of her so it is better to keep Tania with her?" Carries reasoning was sound, but Tania would be difficult, I shook my head, it was not an argument I would join in. That argument would be solely between Carrie in Tania, I wanted no part of it. "Come, Elhanan has prepared lunch in her room; she wishes to speak to all of us together."

We walked to the inn we were staying at in silence; we had nothing more to talk to each other about so why bother with meaningless chatter. When we entered the inn the innkeeper shrank behind his bar, a sly grin crossed my features and Carrie just shook her head a small chuckled leaving her throat. He had feared us since we arrived yesterday; I couldn't blame him though for how often do you see five women armed just as heavily as nights with the fierce expressions to go with them. Lexus padded his way over to us from his place at the bottom of the stairs.

"How've you been boy?" I cooed as I scratched his head, following us up as we walked up the stairs.

"Ah! Good you two are finally here, and Alex you are clean." Elhanan exclaimed joyfully as we entered through the door of her room, beaming at me when she saw my clean attire and skin.

"Well you did all but order Carrie into dragging Alex back here Elhanan." Sarah muttered as she stretched over to grab some bread of the table, Lexus barked startling Sarah from reaching for the bread.

"Oh hush Sarah," Elhanan said as she waved Carrie and I further into the room. I noticed as I entered that sitting on the table in the middle of the room there was bread, cheese, fruit and ale. "Ok so now we're all together I want updated on what's going on."

"Alex's didn't find anything while she was out scouting," Carrie started, I just lent back in my seat hoping this would be over soon so I could rest while Lexus stretched out across my feet. "But we've decided that when we leave here you will have to wear different clothes and you'll be riding on horseback from now on. Tonight all of us are staying here and taking it in turns to patrol outside and stay on guard here in your room. Tomorrow Alex, Beth and Sarah will wait outside the village for the knights to arrive while Tania and I stay with you."

Carrie had barely finished when an inappropriate, "What?" Came from Tania, "Why can't I go with Alex and Sarah, Beth can just as easily stay with Elhanan."

"Because Sarah, you can calm Elhanan better than anyone so you stay here with me." Carries tone was cold telling Tania not to push it.

The conversation continued until late that night as we sorted out the order for patrols later that night and went into further detail about the journey to Hadrian's Wall, explaining how it was necessary to get rid of the carriage. After a quick supper Elhanan settled into bed as we either settled down to sleep or went about patrolling or lookout.

**Review please **** xo**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 – Tristan

"Do you think we have enough weapons Tris'?" Gawain asked sarcastically as he looked at the table I had laid out the selection of weapons I had chosen for the mission. Not bothering to answer Gawain's question with words simply shrugged one of my shoulders. If we were attached while away from the fort the cad would realise I was right in choosing so many weapons, _let fate prove him wrong_ I thought with a grin.

"Let's just hurry," Lancelot grumbled. "We _must _hurry and bring the Roman girl to safety." He declared rolling of his eyes, we all hated the Roman's for what they did to us, myself included but Lancelot let his hated tarnish everything he did including safety bring the Roman girl here it seemed, ignoring him as usual pain in the ass attitude, I continued to secure my weapons to my saddle.

"Stop your complaining Lance," Bors bellowed out in his quietest of voices, yet my ears still wrung and Kyra, my bird gave a distraught squawk at the noise. "Just think by the time we get back from this we will have more Sarmatian brothers to drink with."

A malicious grin spread across Lancelot's face, "And more brothers to beat at dice and steal women off."

"Like you could steal my Van' from me boy," Gruff laughter filled the stables as the age long argument about Lancelot and Bors lover began, it never failed to amuse as even I was unable to hide my amused features.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw as Arthur walked in through the heavy stable doors and over to his horse unnoticed by the rest. He still looked tired but at least the purple bruising under his eyes had lessened, _sleep must have come to him last night, that or exhaustion caught with him_ I mused to myself. A sharp pain in my arm had me realising that Kyra had yet to be feed, "Hold your horse girl, I'll feed you now." I grumbled as I stroked her feathers, calming her. Her yellow eyes watched as I reached into one of my saddlebags to pull out a scrap of meat for her.

"You and that bird Tristan, I will never understand it." Galahad commented as he cocked his head, watching as I fed Kyra, I snorted in both answer to him and as a result to my thoughts, the pup was too naive to understand most things.

"Don't question it then," Arthur spoke causing all the men to turn towards him. "Are we ready to set off?" Nods and silent ayes answered Arthur's order.

I watched as my brothers all rose up onto the mounts as I checked my daggers once more before following the and mounting my mare. We rode in silence, quickly but swiftly making our way through the dark forest, the rain had not stopped yet and the weather seemed to be playing in our favour as the Woad's seemed unwilling to do battle in such torrential weather. The tree's seemed to give us some reprieve from the monotonous downpour but we stopped only once to rest the horses and drink some water from a stream I had found when Arthur had sent me to scout ahead. By the time we reached the edge of the forest and could see the light of the village we were all cold, soaked to the bone and lusting after a hot meal.

"How will we know the Roman's knights?" Galahad shouted over the clamour the rain was making.

"How many people in the village will look like Sarmatian knights pup?" Lancelot retorted with a snort, the pup never did think things through.

"It was a simple question!" Galahad stuttered out.

"There," I pointed to the entrance of the village in front of us. "How many villagers do you think wear thick black cloaks with Rome's brand on them?" I could see two figures on horseback but even my enhanced eyesight could not make out anything but outlines because the pouring rain turned everything at a distance into a blur.

"Let's go say hello knights," Arthur ordered as he kicked his steed forward. As we got closer, the two riders on horseback noticed us and started to move towards us at a slow pace.

"I take it you are Arthur Castus and his knights?" A quite voice called across the gap between us, the voice didn't seem to fit with that of any knight I had spoke to before yet I couldn't quite figure it out what was different.

"Yes we are, and who way I ask are you?" Arthur the polite and well mannered Roman as always asked.

As the black cloak hood was lowered my eyes grew wide under my fringe and I heard Gawain's sharp intake of breath from beside me as the head of a woman in her early twenties with brown hair braided to one side was revealed.

"I'm Sarah," The girl said with a polite smile, it failed to reach her eyes though. "My mistress will be relieved you've finally arrived."

"What are you, a lady's maid?" Lancelot coughed out trying to disguise his laugh, I watched as Sarah, if that truly was her name raised a single brow. "Where looking for your mistress's knights, why did they send you to meet us?"

"Did you hear that Beth?" Sarah turned to the other rider who was pulling her own hood off her head revealing a mass of long blonde curls. "They believe us maids, and tell me knight when have you ever seen a maid so well armed just to clean floors?" The girl Sarah coyly asked as she pulled her cloak back from around her waist showing the two swords belted there.

"My apologies Lady, how could I have made such a mistake?" Lancelot apologising was laughable as he began flirting in the same sentence; it seemed to be falling on deaf ears I thought with a grin.

"Don't apologise Knight," A calm voice called as a figure dressed in the same black cloak as the others slinked forward across the grass towards where we all stood. The person only stopped when they became level with the two women on horseback, a grey shaggy looking wolf walked instep beside the figure. "For it is well known that Sarah is good on her knees." The comment made Bors, Gawain, Galahad and Lancelot laugh deeply and caused the unknown figure to receive a bitter glare.

"Why you wicked little – " The girl Sarah began before she was cut of quickly by the blonde.

"Sarah stop you're stammering and Alex stop causing fights you know what happens when you do that." The Blondes authority and knowledgeable voice made Sarah stop in her tracks and turn in her saddle looking forward to us but the figure standing, Alex? The figure seemed not to care about the obvious threat from the blonde's speech, though stayed very still.

"Yes I do know Beth, a whipping!" The figure spat out with venom, "The scars on my back prove just how Rome believes I should be punished when I speak my mind. It is not my fault others cannot control their tempers when the truth is spoken." I could only stare at the figure after such words of wisdom and pain flowed from the mouth of this _Alex_.It was only when Arthur broken the silence that had fallen over us that I could pull my eyes away from the cloaked figure, and even then it was if an unknown force kept trying to pull my eyes back upon it.

"Wise words indeed but may I know who speaks them?" Arthur's inquiry had me sitting further forward in my saddle hopping the figure would hurry up and reveal their identity to us soon.

"As you wish my Lord," The figures head bowed slightly in respect as a pair of hands came up to remove the soaked black hood of the cloak. I breath I didn't realise I had been holding in gushed out of my mouth as the face of a young woman was revealed. She had dirty fair hair that feel just to above her shoulder and eyes as grey as the battlement of Hadrian's Wall itself. "I am Alex my Lord, Elhanan's scout, and to answer you previous question knight," I watched as her eyes flicked up to glance at Lancelot for a moment. "We are the Sarmatian knights sent with Lady Elhanan, here to protect her on her journey to Hadrian's Wall and to her future husband. The same Sarmatian knights who after they finish their mission of delivering their mistress to Lord Antonio is completed, are to fight alongside you under the command of Artorius Castus."

"I think it's time we took you to see Elhanan before Alex really does start a fight with one of your knights Arthur." The one Beth said after a moment as my brothers and I took in everything Alex had spoke. With a nod from Arthur, the one named Beth replaced the head of her cloak and turned her horse signalling for the other on horseback to do the same.

"How will you get back to the village?" Arthur carefully asked the woman standing in front of us.

"My Lord, whatever god felt fit to create me blessed me with two legs which help me walk this damned world," She said through pouted red lips, lips I should not focus too much on I thought shaking my head. Raising her hood and turning she called over her shoulder, "I think I'll use them. Lexus, come!" The wolf barked at the command and started to trail after its own mistress.

Arthur was the first to start moving towards the village following the three woman to their mistress and it was only after awhile did the rest of us follow. I looked over my shoulder I could see the worried look Lancelot wore, a look that I could hide easily from years of self control yet I could still feel in my soul. These women could bring something out in us that had been buried for nearly twelve years.

**Okay so I really love some feedback I'm going keep writing anyway but the comments would really be appreciated. xo**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 – Alex's POV

"They'll need to be shown where the stables are." Beth suddenly broke the silence that surrounded the three of us as we walked into the village.

"Better not let Alex show them," Sarah replied with a snort, "She'll start a fight and you won't be there to save her this time."

"Unlike you Sarah," I stated steadily and without looking at her, "I don't need people to _save _me in fights. I fight till the end, weather my death or my opponent's death be the result." An outward shiver ran through Sarah's body, she knew how I fought she had seen it firsthand. My blood lust was not something I hid from my sisters, killing came easily to me there was no point in denying it.

"Sarah come with me," Beth interrupted mine and Sarah's verbal spat, receiving a nod of agreement from Sarah she continued. "Alex's can you go ahead and tell Elhanan that Arthur and his Knights have arrived?"

"Aye," I called through the rain as I watched Sarah and Beth lead the knights away towards the stables, turning sharply I started to walk back along the now familiar street that lead back to the inn. Lexus padded softly beside me jumping in and out of muddy puddles causing me to laugh at his childish antics.

Passing through the inn door the inn keeper shrank away yet again in fear but his wife stood firm, I bowed my head in respect for her, she was a good woman and a good cook.

"Were having visitors tonight I would truly appreciate it if you could make up some warm stew and send some ale up with it." I spoke as I removed my drenched cloak from my body; a day's worth of rain had seeped into its fabric.

"How many you expectin' lov'?" She replied pleasantly, watching as Lexus took his position at the foot of the stairs with a small smile.

"Seven."

"Men, women, Roman's?" She called as I started to ascend the stairs.

"Do you know of Arthur Castus and his Sarmatian knights?" I answered her question with a question of my own. I wanted to gleam as much information about these men as I could before they sat in the same room as my mistress

"Everyone on this island knows of them Hun." I could make out her hushed chuckle from where I stood across the room, "and if it's them visiting I'm gona' need to make more than just stew."

"Make what you need," I spoke again still not looking at her. "You will be paid fairly for your work."

I walked silently to Elhanan's rooms thinking about the woman's words, these men were well known throughout the whole island. _How can seven men be known by an entire country? _ As that thought crossed my mind I wrapped my knuckles on the thin door that lead into Elhanan's room.

"Let me in Carrie or I will break it down!" I promised through the wood after waiting for over a minute in dead silence.

"Calm down would you!" Tania said as she swung the door open. Shoving past her I asked, "Where's Carrie?"

"I'm glad you're still alive to Alex!" Tania said with a sarcastic edge in her voice, she still stepped forward as if to hug me.

"Come near me and I will kill you slowly." I spoke stepping forward towards Elhanan's private chambers where I could hear Carries and Elhanan's distinct voices. Walking through the door and into the room where they were sitting in I waited for them to realise I was there.

"I take it they have arrived then?" Elhanan asked without removing her gaze of Carrie.

"Yes."

"You have made preparations so they can eat and drink on arrival?" Again she asked without looking away from her second in command.

"Yes."

"Take post by the window in the main room." This time she did look at me. My eyes grew wide as I saw the already blackening bruise forming around her eye.

"What happened?" I growled.

"I went into the village we were attacked, by blue demons." A sardonic laugh filled the room but I could already see tears filling Elhanan's eyes, guilt washed over me, failed to protect my mistress.

"Once the knights have settled I leave, the people who did this will be dead by the time we leave tomorrow." Just as the words left my mouth the sound of knocking came from the other room.

"We'll deal with this later," Carrie said rising from her seated position at the window. "Come Elhanan lets meet the Knights."

I watched as the nights entered the room from my place in front of the window. Laying my cloak on the bench beside me I leant back, I watched as Arthur made the necessary introductions. Watch as he asked how Elhanan acquired her bruised eye, watched the disgusted look that past across his face at the reason and listened to how he promised to help us find the people who did it. It wasn't until a serving girl appeared with the stew and ale that Elhanan spoke with anything more than Roman manners. Arthur's scout had caught her eyes as he moved out of the shadows to take some food from the table.

"The tattoos on your face, only your tribe tattoos its people like that, yes or no?" Through his fringe I saw his eye twitch, it was the only outward signal that showed he had even heard Elhanan's question.

"Yes my Lady," He answered politely turning to face her, but his voice had me suppressing a shudder as it ran through my body.

"Well I would like you to meet another member of your tribe then," As Elhanan raised her hand signalling me to come to her side I saw the scouts eyes narrow further than I thought possible.

"Tristan meet Alex," She spoke with a smile. "Show him, he won't believe either of us until he sees with his own eyes." A small laugh escaped her as she saw me glare at her, my tattoos were personal not to be shown off like some painting. Turning to my left side was facing the scout I pulled my hair back showing my neck and the two lightning bolt shaped designs tattooed there.

"Why did Rome chose you?" His question was the only thing he offered in return.

Letting my hair fall back over my neck I looked up at Tristan, "Me? Or do you mean why Rome decided to take Sarmatian daughters?"

"Sarmatia ran out of sons so Rome decided if Sarmatia's daughters could survive the training they could be used as well." Carrie spoke as soon as I had finished, her hatred for Rome seeped into every word she spoke. Over the angry out burst of Arthur and his men I heard Lexus's bark and I wasn't the only one.

"Is that your dog?" The man with a mane of blonde hair asked after the others had fallen silent.

"Someone's here," Was my only as I ran to the window, where I saw a figure coloured blue form head to toe disappearing round a bend not 400 yards from the inn.

"The blue demons what are they?" I turned walking straight up to Arthur. "Tell me now; I need to know what they are."

"Woad's, followers of a man called Merlin." Lancelot his second was the one to answer me, I turned looking at Carrie awaiting her orders.

Looking up at Arthur she spoke, "You and your Knights, can you be ready to leave in..."

"As soon as possible, we can't stay here any longer." I interrupted her.

"All my men and I need to do is saddle up our hoses and we can leave as soon as possible." Turning to his men, "Go to the stables and saddle up the all horses, Tristan, Lancelot you stay with me."

"Beth, Tania, Sarah go with Arthur's men, Elhanan change into the clothes we bought yesterday." Carrie ordered, throwing a bundle of clothing towards Elhanan, turning to me she continued, "Up on the roof make sure no-one is surrounding us or coming this way."

Nodding I headed towards the window lifting my cloak as I stood on the bench, as I leaned out of the window I heard Arthur ordering Tristan to follow me.

"Alex," Carrie called waiting for me to look at her directly before she continued, "We leave this building as soon as Elhanan has changed. You follow and Tristan will follow you over the roof tops until you get to the stables, then you join us again, do you understand?"

"Aye," I answered just before I started to climb out of the window to get to the roof. I turned towards Tristan before I started my climb, "You keep up or I leave you behind, the only thing I care about is Elhanan's safety."

"You are truly as stubborn as Bedivere said you were." He said with a chuckle.

"How did you... You do not speak that name." I gasped out. Had I not need my hands secured to the wall of the inn to keep me from falling I would have hit him for mentioning _that _name. _How did you Arthur's scout know him? _A voice cried in my head.

"Your mistress, shouldn't you be focusing on protecting her not giving me orders?" A wry grin spread across his lips.

"When she's safe we talk!" I demanded as I began climbing to the roof, Tristan close at my heels.

**One secret done but another one appears, who is ****Bedivere? Hope you liked this chapter **** review please xo**


	6. Chapter 6

**I don't own anything so please don't sue me. **** xo**

Chapter 6 – Tristan's POV

As I sat upon the thatched roof of the inn I had barely set foot in for less than the needed time to make introductions, with the rain running down the back of my tunic and the distinct hum of Arthur's voice from the room below me I couldn't help but continue to glance at the now covered tattoo of the woman sitting beside me.

_Two lightning bolts, two bloody lightning bolts! _

It's been a long time since I had seen that design. Bedivere, he was a good brother and a good friend. He had died just over two summers ago from and infected arrow wound he received while on a mission for Rome, mind you none of my brothers hadn't died from a wound not received on a mission from Rome.

"The next street over, three up from the end, our blue friends have arrived." Her whispered comment barely reached my ears over the rain, as I looked to where she was describing. I could barely make out two figures and they were indeed Woad's, the obvious blue streaks across their bodies gave them away.

"Leave them be," I replied in just as quiet a voice as hers. "They aren't near the stables and they haven't seen us, we'll just keep an eye on them for now." My tone should have told her that I had experience in these matters yet I still received a dubious look from her I glared in response.

I watched as the two Woad's slipped down from the roof and landed without a sound from the building in front of us, moving back towards the forest. At the same time Alex rose from her seated position beside me whispering.

"We move now," She answered my questioning gaze signalling for me to listen.

We moved swiftly across the thatched roves of houses, jumping gaps that were created by the twisting lanes below. I could make out the dark shadows of Arthur and Lancelot as they walked quickly along the street to my right, Carrie and Elhanan right behind them.

The sound of an arrow made me look forward, only to see it whistling itself into Alex's shoulder and embedding itself deep as Alex fell forward onto her knees. The Woad design on the arrow stood out even in the diminishing like of the night sky. The pained whimper from her crouching form had me running to her side.

"Let me see," I whispered as I leant over her to see the wound. "We need to move!" I whispered hastily, "If we don't they'll shoot again."

"Well if you'd let go off me maybe I could move!" She spat sharply at me, "The stables are the next roof drop down and I'll follow after."

"What?" I asked incredulously, did she really think she could manage that kind of a climb with an arrow still wedge in her shoulder.

"Go now, it won't do us any favours if both of us get shot." Even now she was trying to protect someone other than herself; the damn woman was so stubborn.

"You have to be joking? If you get shot again, you will have a harder time getting of this roof if I would if I got shot once." I growled out, my anger rising at her ignorance.

"It's an arrow! It won't ail me too much, now go." Following her orders I dropped down of the roof, landing just to the side of the entrance. Looking around I checked for any danger, _stupid girl will get herself killed, stubborn child, _my mind screamed at me.

Walking into the stables I went straight to Dag, "You need to have bandages and ointment ready for when the _Roman's_ scout arrives." My anger at Alex's own stupidity dictated my words, not even allowing her name a mention.

"Where is she?" The one with hair a shade of red that could challenge Bors's lover hissed, I merely pointed at the opening of the stables; I was not going to waste anymore words on that woman.

"She's injured according to Tristan," Dagonet said as if in explanation for _my _silence, I just threw a glare at the Roman's second in command as she glared at me, _like it was my fault she got shot _I thought sarcasticallybefore going and making sure my steed's saddle was secured properly. A groan of pain sounded from just outside the stables along with quiet thump.

"Corse she'd be bloody injured," Cried the girl named Sarah, who seemed to be standing way to close to Gawain. "She just doesn't see the point in not getting injured. It's not like she needs anymore scars."

"Sarah! Stop that!" Elhanan huffed as she rose up onto her saddle, "Remember you are the reason behind some of those scars."

"Aye, she is, doesn't show an ounce of thanks for it either." Alex hissed coming to her own defence, "Now would someone pull this blasted arrow out of my shoulder."

Storming past Dagonet, who was on his way to her side to aid her I growled into her ear, causing her to shiver visibly, "Don't make a sound woman," I ordered as I grabbed the arrow in one hand and her good shoulder in the other, ripping the arrow out with one sharp tug. The fire that burned in her eyes was pure hatred as she looked up at me. No tears formed but the look of unadulterated pain flashed across her face.

I was shoved from in front of her, my glaze never leaving hers as Dag and the Beth woman began to wrap Alex's wound as quickly as possible to both stop the bleeding and help us to leave sooner.

"Saddle up we leave as soon as her wound is dressed." Arthur commanded. No-one moved I guessed they were shocked by me ripping the arrow out of Alex's arm but I decided to shrug it off and jump onto my saddle and began checking my knives.

I watched as everyone slowly started to saddle up and prepare for the journey, after a moment I saw as Dagonet, Beth and Alex do the same. I watched out of the corner of my eye as she rose up to get on her saddle a flash of guilt ran through me at the wince that flickered through her face, the only action that showed she'd been injured, she hid the rest well.

"We leave the same way we came knights," Arthur spoke as he saw that everyone was ready. "It's not the safest but it is the quickest and at the moment, and that's what you want?" Pausing he looked over at Carrie, with a nod of her head he continued further," Tristan you keep ahead, Lancelot, Gawain you'll be with me in front of the woman Galahad, Dagonet and Bors you will be behind." As we moved to the entrance of the stables I saw as a whispered argument irrupted between Carrie and Alex, Sarah even joined in until Elhanan growled out a command to stop and turned towards Arthur.

"Alex goes with your scout." It wasn't a question and it wasn't an order it was more of a fact.

"Your scout is injured my Lady, she should not be pushing herself to much." He commented with genuine care for Alex, it made my lips curl into a grimace he _shouldn't _be caring for her, it wasn't _his _job, nor was it mine I reminded myself.

"I think, I've had enough arrow wounds to know what is _pushing _myself," Alex growled in response. It was the anger that still flowed through my blood that fuelled my answer.

"Your injury will make you slow, how can you keep up and do your job right if you are slow." It was low and cruel but it could also be true if she were a lower person.

"You should worry about doing your own job right you moody bastard before you worry about me doing mine." Her cool voice had no emotion in it and all it did was urge me to keep going.

"My job is always done right," I glared at her as I spoke, growling my words. "I don't stand out so much I let someone shoot me."

"Enough the pair of you," I was surprised when I turned and saw it was Elhanan that had yelled at us not Arthur. "She goes ahead with you end of." Turning her head she looked at Arthur with sad eyes, "Can we please leave now I want to go," She might have sounded like an impatient child but I knew she had to be scared, it was the first time she'd ever been in a situation like this I thought.

We continued till it began to get dark and Arthur suggested that we setup camp soon. As we travelled through the dense forest, Alex never said a word to me unless it was about tracks or ideas for a camp that night and with every minute of silence that passed, the shame I felt weighed heavier on my shoulders but I couldn't bring myself to start a conversation with her to apologise.

As we sat round the fire waiting for the meat Bors was cooking in the stew pot to be ready I saw that Alex slipped off into the woods, as I rose to follow her I saw first Carrie's then Lancelot's eyes flick up and watch me. Alex stopped about a hundred yards from camp leaning against the tree beside her, her voice floated through the silence.

"I had hoped, when Elhanan had told me that Arthur had a scout that whoever it might be that we would be able to get along and finish our sentences in peace." There was emotion in her voice now and my hearted ached as I realised I had put that pain in it.

"Arthur says there is no worse death than the end of hope..." I let me voice trail, hoping she would understand what I left unsaid.

**Hope you liked **** xo**


	7. Chapter 7

**Still don't own anything **** xo**

Chapter 7 – Alex's POV

As I woke that morning I couldn't stop thinking about Tristan's words to me last night in the forest, _there is no worse death than the end of hope. _He had hid his apology well, hiding it in a piece of advice. I shook my head in quiet laughter it was so like the quiet scout to be like that I thought, I hadn't known him that long, yet I had a fair idea what kind of a person he was.

"What are you thinking about Alex?" Elhanan's voice sounded from behind me, turning to her I smiled.

"Cryptic answers," I laughed loudly when I said the expression on Elhanan's face. As I straightened up and looked over her shoulder I could see the small smile that Tristan hid under his beard.

"So what we have you cooked us for breakfast then Bors?" Sarah called, but giggled as Gawain whispered something in her ear.

"Not what he's offering you lav'" Bors commented, I rolled my eyes he didn't know half of it. Those two had become very _close_ during last night and I shouldn't have had to listen to just how close they had become.

As we sat down to eat the gruel Bors had made Elhanan spoke again, "What did you mean cryptic answers Alex?" I glanced up at her, surprised she had brought it up again and with a sly glance at Tristan I thought over my answer.

"Answers you don't expect hidden in advice," Elhanan looked more confused than ever while Tristan seemed focused solely on his food.

"What advice?" Tania jumped in; she was always a curious like thing, her question made Elhanan nod her head excitingly though.

"There is no worse death than the end of hope." Looking up I smiled, Arthur and all his knights' bar Tristan held shocked expressions while Elhanan and my sisters held ones of confusion.

"It's good advice," Tristan's gruff voice said over the fire, his gaze locked with mine. I had discovered something since are quiet truce was made, Tristan's gaze was worse than his voice; it drew you in, making you never want to stray from it.

His voice must have snapped some wit into his brothers as they all turned their heads to gap at their scout, but Arthur snapped into action saying, "We should move out soon, that way we should get to Hadrian's Wall by about late morning, early afternoon."

With a round of headshakes and quiet 'ayes' we finished eating and began to dismantle camp. We would have been able to dismantle camp quicker if Elhanan hadn't insisted on helping, she meant well but she wasn't like us, so her help resulted in more of a hindrance. After complaints from nearly everyone, with a huff she finally gave in and decided that it was better just to sit on a log near the fire and wait for us to get everything ready.

You can come back now my Lady," Lancelot called, after last night Lancelot had seemed to calm down around Elhanan,_ maybe it's because of how she treats us, _it was a question that had popped into my head a couple of times as I had watched the two act round one another.

As we road towards Hadrian's Wall we went at a slow pace but we were still watchful of attacks from the Woad's. I kept silent for most of the journey adding my bit in here and there where needed in conversation but I mostly listened to the light-hearted conversations that happened around me.

This country really was a lovely country; _mind you it was a pity it rained so much _my thought made me chuckle to myself. It was my small chuckle that caused Tristan to notices me by his side.

"And what is it you laugh at?" It seemed such an odd question from Tristan but it probably came from the fact that I had yet to have a proper conversation with this man.

"I was thinking about how lovely this country is," His disbelieving look made me smile and continue. "But that it's a pity it rains so much."

"Now that I would believe my Lady," _My Lady, _I snorted at the term of respect.

"Tristan I use your name when I speak with you, I would like it if you used mine in return." The bow of his head signalled to me that he accepted my offer so I continued, "Plus I don't think the title suits me."

"Alex," My name said in such a manner as his voice allowed should not have thrilled me like it did. "From what I have seen I think the title would suit you well."

"How come, do tell," I whispered as if it was a secret.

"A Lady should be elegant and beautiful, have the skill to be gentle but still have passion but mostly she should have loyalty." I stared in awe as the words poured out of his mouth, then he turned to me a smiled, "Those qualities Alex, you have shown in abundance."

I could feel my face heating up as a blush formed on my cheeks and before I could even figure out an answer from my muddled brain Arthur called to say that Hadrian's Wall was just over the next ridge. Nodding to Arthur Tristan kicked his horse into movement and I was left in silence watching him ride of till Beth rode up beside me.

"You are very red, are you unwell? You could have caught a fever from your wound," As Beth babbled about inflection and fever I tried to make sense of Tristan's changed behaviour. From an arrogant brute to this, whatever this was.

"Ladies," Elhanan called from behind me, I turned thankful for the distraction from my own mind and Beth persistent muttering. "We are going into a Roman fort, uniforms please." I knew the grimace I wore matched that of everyone of my sisters but as I fixed my cloak into position I looked up and saw just how grand the fort was.

"That ain't a fort it's bloody a castle," The chuckles that resulted from Sarah's comment couldn't be helped but it also couldn't be helped that you had to agree as the monumental structure of the fort became apparent to us.

"Welcome to Hadrian's Wall, and your new home of course," Arthur said with a smile as he watched are shocked features.

Pulling my hood up further as the rain became heavier than the light drizzle it had been all morning we slowly started to ride along beside the Wall and towards the gates. I could just make out Tristan's figure as we neared the gate, _so that is where he ran off to _I thought. A bell rang loudly from a Tower on the Wall suddenly startling my hoarse and making Lexus bark.

"It's nothing to worry about," Arthur called. "The bell signals mine and my knight's return, some people are happy to know when we return."

As we first walked through the massive wooden gates, the first thing I could see was nothing but a mass of people but as Arthur kept on riding the crowd split and began to stare. Their stares suddenly were draw towards me and my sisters; I could hear the whispering and murmuring starting as we passed by. As we rode passed a group of Roman soldiers one turned to his friend and shouted of the sound of the crowd 'Great more Sarmatian dogs what are we went to do with 'em?" His friend laughed at him but as soon as the words were out of his mouth my jaw clenched, me and my sisters had been through this too many times to count, yet it seemed to be never ending.

"Shit," Sarah said as she grabbed her arm, as she flexed it to remove the pain I saw a trickle of blood run down it. It was then that I saw a man just in front of her bend over to pick up a rock from the ground and throw it towards Tania, missing but causing her hoarse to get spooked, I watched as her mask went up as she saw the stone. I moved towards him as he bent yet again to lift another stone and while he wasn't looking slid of my hoarse and drew one of my daggers lose.

"I would put the stone down if I were you," I whispered into the man's ear as I grabbed his wrist, bending it at a painful angle. "You might hit someone with it and that would not end well for you," As I said the last part I pushed my blade against the skin of the man's throat.

"If it meant one last Sarmatian slave I would be happy to get punished." The man hissed, he seemed to be brave but at the same time very foolish.

"Very well, seeing you already injured one I'll deal your punishment." As the man's eyes flickered to mine I could see a spark of fear in them, _good _I thought silently. Drawing back my arm I flipped the dagger so that it didn't cut the man and swung man arm forward landing a punch to the man jaw. As he landed on the floor, howling in pain I placed my dagger back in its place, saddled my horse again and rode on, catching up with the rest of them at what I guessed were the Knight's stables.

"That was a very stupid thing to do, you know," Tristan's voice made me jump but I didn't turn to look at him as I answered.

"He threw rocks at us, he cause Sarah to bleed, the fact the man is still alive is a very stupid thing." His quiet chuckle at my reasoning made me turn.

"You must control that passion of yours better while you are inside the fort," I cocked me head at him in questioning, but I could feel the heat in my cheeks from his mention of _my passion _rising_. "_We wouldn't want you to have to spend time in a cell now would we," As he said this he brushed his thumb over my cheek causing it to redden more and his smile to grow.

"Come, I'll help you unpack your hoarse, we need to meet Arthur in the Great Hall once you're ready," He said after silence had fallen over us, I felt a sense of loss as he pulled his hand from my cheek.

Nodding to him in agreement we worked in silence to remove my saddlebags and saddle from my hoarse and cleaned him down. Lexus sat in the corner of the stall intensely watching us work, I could hear the rest of them talking, and then a sudden sense of relief flowed over me. We were here, we had got Elhanan here safely and as soon as she was married this would be our new home. As we walked towards the Great Hall I thought popped into my mind _maybe we can all be happy here, _I hoped it to be true.

**Hoped you liked it **** xo**

**HHHHifpv**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter – 8 Tristan's POV

As I pulled of my tunic throwing it across my room I sat down heavily on my bed. As I unlaced my boots, kicking them to land beside my shirt and thought over what had happened since we arrived in Hadrian's Wall earlier today.

After the meeting with Arthur the woman had ran off to the bathing house saying the need to bathe was necessary, as my brothers and I sat around the round table talking on. Arthur had told all of us as we sat about testing the woman on their skills sometime during tomorrow but he had been stupid enough to tell us while the servants had still been pouring wine into our goblets. I leant my head back on the bed; _I bet most of the fort was planning to gather at the training grounds at noon to watch by now _I thought to myself with a laugh.

I had guessed that the woman would have spent a lot of the day bathing in the bath house and getting settled into their rooms but I was proved wrong along with my brothers when we found them in the tavern having convinced the tavern owner into giving them free ale. We had decided the woman could stay in the rooms of fallen brothers, rather than risk putting them in the soldier's barracks with the Roman scum. Just as I laid my head back on my pillow a blood curdling scream rang out as clear as day.

Jumping up I ran in the direction of the noise, forgetting about my lack of attire, I wasn't the only one it seemed who was running towards the noise as I crashed into Gawain as I rounded the corner. He also seemed to be dressed in only a pair of breeches, with a shrug of his shoulders he spoke.

"You hear it?" I just snorted, it was kind of impossible to miss the piercing scream. "I think it came from Tania's room." Nodding I walked towards her room but as me and Gawain approached I released that the noise had caused quite a crowd to gather.

Pushing my way into the room I saw Sarah sitting on the bed with a glassy eyed Tania in her arms. Tania looked ghostly pale and she seemed to be shaking uncontrollably from what I could make out of the mass of blankets tangled round her.

"What's wrong with her," It was Lancelot who voiced my shared question, but as I looked round at Dagonet, Galahad and Gawain who had also gathered in the small room, they're expressions seemed to show the same need to know what had upset the girl. Galahad's though seemed the most upset, _it makes sense _I thought, _for the pup to fall for the frailest out of their group, always did have a thing for those weaker than him _I thought on with a shake of my head.

"She had a nightmare," Carries answer was vague, but I had a feeling that it was meant to be. "I guessed," Lancelot muttered dryly glaring at her, "But about what, you don't just scream like that without reason." He had a valid point, Tania's scream had been filled with pain and fear, what reason could have caused her to acted like that while just an hour before she was laughing gaily and drinking merrily with us in the tavern.

"About our past," Carrie's vague answer continued, throwing a glare of her own back at Lancelot. It was only after what seemed like a silent conversation between Carrie and Alex did an answer of some reason come.

"It was about what Rome did to us," It was Alex who spoke, her answer was vague also but I had a feeling we would get more of an answer from her than Carrie. Carrie seemed to have appointed Alex as her second _she'll have to deal with the jobs Carrie does not wish to now _I thought, it was one thing I wouldn't wish upon another. As Alex walked around the room to stand between me and Galahad I had to fight the urge to wrap my arms around her and hold her close, protecting her from the looks that had landed on her because of her explanation and her movement.

"Go to her," Alex whispered into Galahad's ear, I could barely hear her as she continued. "Relieve Sarah and take her in your arms, she will tell you in her own time but be patient with her please." As Alex finished her plea I watched as Galahad firstly nodded to Alex then slowly moved round the tiny room till he was beside Sarah, nodding in acknowledgement Sarah untangled herself from a still shivering Tania as she stepped away the pup slid into her seat and in the same moment Tania had wrapped herself around Galahad tightly as a fresh wave of sobs racket through small body.

I watched as Sarah walked straight to Gawain's side putting her hand in his and walked them both out of the door, Carrie and Lancelot followed suit and then Beth and Dag. It was only as I watched Beth and Dag walked out the door that I felt a hand slide across my palm, it's fingers lacing through mine tightly, looking up I saw as Alex gave me a weak smile that had my heart tightening in unknown pain before she lead me out of the room, closing the door behind us.

It was only after a silent nod had passed from Carrie to Alex, that Alex began to talk, "Her nightmare, it happens when we get stationed somewhere new." Taking a deep breath, Alex tilted her head up to the ceiling taking controlled breaths, I squeezed her hand, the only thing I could do to try and reassure her. "When we arrived in Rome, we arrived in on hoarse back normally two to a hoarse, but the older ones, the ones to big to share a hoarse walked behind but," She paused releasing a shuttering breathe, I watched as she swallowed a lump in her throat. A choked sob came from Sarah across the hall, I saw out of the corner of my eye as she threw herself into Gawain's awaiting arms, the worry clear on his face, but I couldn't bring myself to drag my eyes away from Alex. "There was one girl though, you have to understand by the time we arrived at Rome they had already figured out what's jobs be would be doing. I had already started my scout training, Carrie her training to lead and the rest to be soldiers. There was one girl though, she was weak and she lagged behind, she walked just behind the others but when we reached the training city in Rome we were met by a Roman crowd. You have to understand they promised if we made it to Rome that they would take care of us and we believed them." Alex closed her eyes tight, "This is not my story to tell!" She growled out, opening her eyes and glaring straight at Carrie.

"We have to explain why she's acting like this," Carrie tried to reason with Alex, I could feel her shaking from the hand I held, "We can't hold these kind of secrets from them, we will be working with them for the rest of our bloody servitude!" Carrie's voice gradually increased to a yell by the end of her speech, which echoed of the walls of the corridor.

I listened as Alex let out a curse in Sarmatian, "Fine," She finally growled out, "We walked into the city the crowds gather around us," It was her turn to grip my hand tighter trying to draw what strength she could from me. "When we walked children our own age at the time, they threw stones at all of us as we passed as their parents yelled insults at us. It wasn't until we heard screams over the calls of the crowd did anyone realise that the stone throwers had picked one target to aim at. Mada was their target. By the time the guards finally manage to stop the stones and reach her, her screams had already died." She stopped, her breathing was ragged and her eyes were clouded with unshed tears, I wanted so badly to draw her to me and make it all go away but calming herself she continued. "Tania was her friend, she watched from a hoarse as Mada was killed. When we arrive at a new place and crowds gather like they did, cheering at us, throwing things at us, the memories flood Tania's mind. She has learnt over time to hide them behind a mask when it happens but when the night comes, and her mind is free to wonder during her sleep, her mind automatically goes back to that day." As Alex finished talking she pulled her hand from my own hand and wrapped her arms around herself.

Silence fell around us in the corridor, Sarah still wrapped up in Gawain's arms still cried quietly, Beth's head leant heavily on Dagonet's shoulder their hands entwined together and Lancelot had wrapped his arm firmly round Carrie's waist as silent tears ran down her face.

"Now you know how Rome has affected us, even if it is in a small part." It was Carrie who spoke out, it angered me that she had forced Alex to tell the sad tale yet allowed herself the easy job of closing it.

"Galahad said he'd stay with Tania tonight," Sarah hiccupped out, lifting her head form Gawain's chest. "We should get some rest it's been along couple of days."

"It's been a long couple of years," Carrie mutter, Alex snorted at her comment but otherwise ignored her as she tightened her hold around herself. "But Sarah is right; we cannot do anymore tonight for Tania it would be best to rest." Nodding to the rest of us she headed off in the direction of her room, Lancelot quick on her heals, the rest followed suit and soon I was left alone in the corridor with Alex.

"You should head back to your room," I finally spoke, breaking the silence. I had given her Bedivere's old room, I didn't know if it was the wisest thing to do but the smile she had given me when I had told her who the room belonged to told me I had done the right thing.

"I hate being alone after Tania has one of her nightmare," Her surprising honesty shocked me, _the woman must stay together after Tania has one of her nightmares, if probably brings back her own demons _I guessed. As if reading my mind Alex continued. "Before we came here if Tania had one of her nightmares, we would all stay together in her room, I'm not used to this being alone with my memories after _this_." I watched as Alex uncoiled one of her arms and waved it around trying to signify what _this _was.

"You can stay with me," As the words left me mouth I realised just how true they were.

She followed me as I lead her to my room but as we entered I realised that there was only one chair and the bed to sit on. I held the door open to my room and let her walk in, in front of me also letting her chose where she sat. I went to the chair after I watched her curl her legs up under her and lean her head back against one of the post of my four poster bed as she sat.

"Other than being alone, what usually happens?" I was trying to make her as comfortable as possible but in order to do that I had to delve into what was making her uncomfortable.

"We would distract each other," She answered with a chuckle, smiling at her chuckle I asked, "And how would one do that my Lady?" She smiled at my answer before going silent again.

I watched as she cocked her head in thought before cautiously saying, "Tell me about my brother. How you met him? How he was after he left our village? Why you were so shocked at seeing my neck?" Her quick fire questions caught me completely of guard, and it was only after a moment did I start my answers.

**Ok I'm not really sure about this chapter so let me know what you think, it probably looks like it doesn't have a point but I promise you it does **** thanks for the support so far review please xo**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey just want to say thank-you to WitchWeaver and Druid Archer for their support lol hope you enjoy this chapter.**

Chapter 9 – Alex's POV

There was a pause before Tristan answered, but he never looked at me only turned his head and stared into the fire. "Your brother was a good fighter, a good brother and a good man, but I'm guessing you already thought that?" His gazed flashed up from the flames for a second seeing the slight smile that had graced my lips before continuing, "We already knew each other before we left our village, we used to hunt together before Rome came for us. When they came for us all the sons from our village stayed together, kind of an automatic thing. Me and Bedivere, we became close over the time we spent together." I watched as Tristan swallowed hard, he was sharing things he would normally never do and I felt honoured that he was sharing it with me. Tristan opened his mouth then closed it again; to me it seemed as if he was looking for the right answer to a hard question. "Your brother he died two summers ago," I gasped causing Tristan to look up on reflex, _two years, two years I had only missed him by two years. _I had come to terms with my brother's death; death followed you around in our job so I was no stranger to it. I was so caught up in my own thoughts that I had not seen or heard Tristan leave his seat by the fire and walk towards the bed until he was uncurling my arms from around me and pulling me to sit on his lap.

"What are you doing?" I looked up not realising his face was so close to mine. His eyes looked straight into mine as if he was searching for something before he answered me.

"Please let me do this," His eyes begged me to do as he asked and I nodded my answer, "Do you wish me to continue?" At his question I nodded furiously, a small smile graced his lips at my childish antics before he continued. "He died from a Woad arrow, it got infected and none of our physicians could do anything to help him."

"Don't," I blurted out as he stopped to take a breath. "Answer the questions I asked. Don't tell me of his death, I have come to terms with it so please let's not dwell on his death." It was my turn to look pleadingly into his eyes.

"I'm not dwelling on it, I just thought it best you knew," As he began talking again his hand slowly ran up and down my back sending shiver through my body, that settled low in my stomach. "Your next question was what he was like after we left, the truth is we all changed, you and your sisters? You know deep down that you changed after you left our village and were forced to serve Rome."

"Rome changed everyone whether it is us, or its own people." We lapsed into a peaceful silence as the weight of my words landed upon us. It was only after we had sat in the silence for awhile did I remember about my last question, "My neck, why were you so shocked by it?"

"You have to remember the only time I've seen woman wearing those kinds of marks is as a memorial to dead husbands and I began to worry that Rome was going back to Sarmatia to take Sarmatian soldiers wives."

"You're married?" I blurted out without realising, it was his snort that made me realise my mistake.

"I'm no more married than I am Arthur's god," Tristan's answer and chuckle relaxed me dramatically and the feeling I had felt rising but couldn't name disappeared. "I was worried about some of my older brothers that had wives waiting for them back in Sarmatia. Getting back to your original question, it was only when I put your name together with the tattoos themselves that I remembered the stories Bedivere had told about his _stubborn little sister_." Leaning my head against his shoulder I couldn't held the bright smile that spread across my face as I remember Bedivere complaining about my stubbornness when we were younger. "And what has you smiling like that?" Tristan's breathy question had me jumping out of my trip down memory lane.

"About Bedivere, how he acted when we were younger," Chuckling I turned my head towards Tristan's face, "He was forever complaining about my stubbornness, always said it would lead me into trouble." Snorting I turned, it was my turn to look into the flames, "How he was right."

I felt rather than saw as Tristan cocked his head, I guessed it was confusion because of my words, "How was he right?"

"When Rome decided to take Sarmatia's daughters they decided to follow the same rules as they did with Sarmatia's sons." Pausing I breathed deeply, I never talked about my family, granted neither did my sisters, it was too painful to remember what I had been taken from. "My father's eldest daughter Tamura, she was a year younger than Bedivere and two older than me. She had just given birth to her first born son when word reached us that the Roman soldiers were on their way to collect us. In the two weeks it took them to reach our village I convinced my father to hide away my sister, pretend she had died so I could go in her place and I got my family's insignia tattooed on my neck." As I lapsed into silence Tristan began to speak.

"Why take the place of your sister?" I could think of many reasons but before I could let them all out he spoke again, "You had a chance to keep your freedom. How could you have given that up?"

"I would not let Rome split another family, especially not my sister's family. She had only been a mother for two weeks I could not let them pry her from her son." I closed my eyes tightly trying to keep the tide of emotions that had slammed into me from spilling out. "My father understood my choice to go on the eve of the night I left my father had told me that if any of his children could survive the servitude he had, it would be me and Bedivere." I chuckled in realisation that at this moment only one of his children was surviving his theory.

"You are stronger than me and certainly less selfish than I," His statement shocked me; _it wasn't his fault he was taken from his family, that blame lay solely on Rome herself_.

"I was not your choice to go, Rome decided that and your judgement comes from the years of servitude you have served." Turning in Tristan's lap, I felt his hands tighten around my hips trying to still my movements but I pushed that thought to a dark corner of my mind, clasping his face between my palms I spoke. "Under that mask you wear you have feelings, you feel fear, you feel pain but you also feel love and compassion. If you had been in my position I believe that you would have done the same thing. From what I've seen of you and your brothers, I know that any of you would sacrifice anything if it meant your brother's safety could be secured." By the end of my speech my breath had quickened to become a series of small pants and the look in Tristan eyes had become so intense that not only did I have to look away from him, but I also had to remove myself from being that close to him.

As I stood looking out the window that looked out onto the courtyard I spoke again, a feeling of peace had settled over my body giving me the ability to think of words now that his gaze was of me. "So I hear that we are to be tested on our abilities as Sarmatian soldiers tomorrow?"

A snort sounded from behind me in the direction of the bed before Tristan's gravelly voice said, "And how would you know about that?"

"As I was returning from the stables I passed the tavern where a mad woman was bellowing it, it was hard to miss," I laughed lowly but Tristan still caught the sound, he smiled softy before continuing.

"Arthur spoke before the servant had left the Great Hall, a stupid mistake but one that didn't cause any harm."

"True," My answer was received by a nod. As I looked out the window once again I saw the sun sinking low behind the horizon, as I watched it sink a sudden rush of tiredness hit me. "It is late; I think I will sleep now."

As I crossed the room towards the door I felt a hand grab my arm pulling me backwards as I passed the bed. Noticing my confused looked Tristan explained, "You said yourself, you don't like being alone after Tania had one of her dreams, why sleep alone when you have an option not to?" Nodding I lay down beside Tristan's now stretched out figure and as I closed my eyes, succumbing to the tiredness I felt, I felt two arms, roped with muscle pull me towards Tristan's warm body.

It was not discomfort for once that woke me but sunlight, sunlight that filtered through a window. Rubbing at my eyes I felt something constrict tightly around my waist, momentary panic flickered through my now awake body before I realised that the constricting source was actually Tristan's arms. Looking over I saw as his face buried itself deeper into the joint where my shoulder and neck met. As I disentangled myself from Tristan, and it had been harder than I thought, the need to meet with my sisters compelled me to keep moving.

"Where have you been," Carrie growled at me as I walked into the stables.

"You are always so happy when you wake aren't you," I retorted while rubbing my shoulder. The wound had been redressed when we had arrived at the fort and the pain had faded but now it itched.

"Pain or discomfort," Beth asked as she noticed my rubbing, trust her to notice my small movements.

"Discomfort," I answered simply.

"Then it is healing, leave it be and don't rub it or you'll only set back your own healing." At her words a silence fell upon us, the silence was only disturbed by the occasional sound of the horses stabled around us.

"Elhanan wishes us to meet with her today so we can meet her husband to be." It was no question, but an undisguised order, we followed Carrie still in silence towards the villa we had left Elhanan off at when we had first arrived at the fort.

The meeting with Elhanan had been short and uneventful. Her husband to be was an arrogant git, who favoured money over anything else and looked down upon us and Elhanan as if we were the dirt below his boot. We were all heading back towards our rooms that we passed the doors of the Great Hall that were slightly ajar, it was only then did we stop our walking as we heard the rising voices of the knight's.

"What? How can you say that as if it is a bad thing," The voice was Galahad's I figured out.

"It doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing but you must understand," The voice was obviously Arthurs, his tone filled with both compassion and command. "If you grow too attached to them they will become your weakness, how can you fight alongside those woman if you fear every moment they lift a sword?" Sarah's hand shot up covering Tania's mouth as she made to gasp in shock Arthur's comment.

"Arthur..." Galahad's plea was cut off by Gawain, "You will deny us something that we have dreamed of ever since we were taken from our home? Deny us the chance to have a wife and family of our own choosing, of our own kind?" Gawain's voice held both confusion and pain.

"No, you must understand..." Arthur let out a deep sigh before continuing, "These woman could bring you so much happiness and that I will not, could not deny you, I just worry that if you become too attached to these woman you won't be able to focus on the battlefield while they are there because your worry for them will cloud your mind."

"So your way of make sure that never happens is to deny us the one thing we want most in this world?" I had not expected Lancelot's sudden outburst, neither had my sisters and it cause all of us to gasp out loud giving us away.

I heard as silence descended upon the Great Hall, frozen in the spot where I stood I could only wait along with my sisters until we were found. The doors of the Great Hall swung open to reveal a stony faced Tristan his sword ready in his hand. As our eyes met I saw a short flash of surprise go through them but I heard the sound of muttered curses come from around me as the other knights arrived behind him. Turing from the entrance to the Great Hall I started to walk away slowly, gradually gathering speed as I heard my name being called. One thought though seemed to bounce around my mind after hearing the knight's conversation, _happiness; as long as I was a slave to Rome it seemed that happiness was never allowed to befall me._

**So secrets and history have been shared but other issues seemed to have arose... hope you enjoyed xo **


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 – Tristan's POV

_Shit, _I thought to myself_, shit, shit, shit!_ I could see Carrie staring daggers at Arthur from the corner of my eye. No-one had said more than a word since we had left the entrance of the Great Hall and even then it had only been a few words.

"Do you have any idea were Lady Alex would be?" Arthur questioned as we reached the turning that lead to the training grounds looking at none of the woman in particular. _The crowds have already gathered, _I reasoned as the sound of voices increased with every step we took towards the training grounds.

"I'm surprised you feel safe enough to care where she may be," Carrie's snide comment cut through my musing and brought me back to the present situation, _shit _I thought once again, _why couldn't Arthur think before he spoke at times? _Shaking my head I continued walking trying to focus on what lay ahead.

After wakening to the sound of pounding on my door this morning with a message yelling that Arthur had called a meeting in the Great Hall I had had no time to wonder why had woke up alone in my bed instead of with Alex beside me.

"Won't it worry you if you start to care too much about us?" It was Sarah who spoke up, a flinch ran across Arthur's face before he answered.

"You must try and understand..." Arthur's reasoning tone was cut off by a shocked cry from Tania.

"Alex?" At the name my eyes shot up looking for the person it belonged to. "What are you doing?" Tania further questioned as we watched Alex swing the sword at her side over her head and forward, following movements that seemed all too familiar to her.

Snorting Alex answered in a cold detached tone, "Preparing," She never looked up from the point she was focusing on as she spoke. "Haven't they told you yet?" Her eyes flicked up when no answer came, "I'll take your silence as a no then," Her chuckle was void of emotion, "Today they test us to see how good our training is, and look they even drew in a crowd for us."

"What?" Sarah cried spinning towards Gawain as she started to back away, hurt obvious in her face.

"It's not what you think..." Gawain tried to stutter out before he was interrupted.

"Leave it," Carrie said over her shoulder as she started to walk towards Alex. "They want to see how well we've been trained let them, but understand this," She spoke as she turned towards us looking straight at Arthur, picking up a sword and undoing a dagger from her leg. "You will never need to worry about us when we are on the battlefield and your little speech earlier just gave us more reason not to get close to _any _of you." As Carrie finished her speech, her mask firmly in place Sarah, Tania and Beth walked towards her collecting their weapons from the table in front of her.

"You sharpen these Alex?" I heard Sarah call as she ran her finger along the blade of the sword she held.

"You think I'm going to lift your weapons, lay them out all pretty for you and leave them blunt?" The sarcasm Alex's voice held made Sarah and Tania chuckle.

"So what do we do?" Galahad spoke, never taking his eyes of Tania who seemed to be testing the balance of her sword.

"We fight," I spoke, the first words since I had left the Great Hall. "They're angry, let them fight and see if it helps calm them down."

"Good logic," Lancelot spoke up, "But which one of us is going to fight which one of them."

"Fight the one you have become close to," It was Arthur who answered and seeing are confused glances her continued, "That way you'll be able to see how well of a fighter your woman is, you'll learn that you don't have to fear for them in battle if you know their skill."

Keeping Arthur's words in my mind I walked forward to stand beside Lancelot who stood facing Carrie, both stood prepared for a fight. As I looked up I saw as Alex rolled her shoulders back before lifting her tunic up over her head to leave her in just her binding. Murmurs from the crowd grew loud at her action, _mine! _The possessive thought flooded my mind; _they shouldn't be allowed to see her like this, only I should. _Shaking my head I tried to rid my mind of my sudden thoughts and regain my focus on the fight ahead. Slowly Alex turned picking up her sword in the process, rotating it with a flick of her wrist before finally facing me.

"Rome might have taken our freedom but they taught us how to fight well," Carrie spoke after she had looked up and down the row checking that the rest of her knights were ready, receiving a nod from each one of the woman she continued. "So in your own time men," If anyone else had heard her speak, other than myself and my brothers, they would never have guessed that Carrie held resentment to us as her voice held no emotion.

Lancelot was the first to move towards the woman's line and soon after him and Carrie were locked in a heated battle, his twin swords struck passionately as Carrie's sword and dagger gave as good as she got. Shortly after Lancelot and Carrie's start Sarah, Tania, Galahad and Gawain became immersed in their own fights while Beth and Dag began to circle each other, which left only Alex and myself still in our original positions.

Flexing my sword I advanced on where Alex stood. _React, _I pleaded in my mind as I neared striking distance, yet Alex stood as still stone. It was only as I drew my sword back to swing at her did she react in the smallest of actions, a gleam in her eye give away her enjoyment for the fight to come. As my sword swung forward it met with hers, blocking my cut towards a weak spot I noticed and starting a back and forward game of defence and attack strikes.

"We can continue this all day pretty boy," Alex purred out with a huff as she caught a blow dealt by me with her sword, "Or we can do this properly and see who truly is better."

"You will not be able to keep up with me girl," I spoke, my voice to coming out slightly staggered.

"Don't be too sure of that," She answered glaring at me for calling her _girl_.

Our actions began to speed up, the clang of our swords increased causing the others who had began to end their own fights to slow further and look up at us. I watched as a wince twitched across Alex's face as her shoulder absorbed the shock from a high dealt blow. _She can't continue like this, _my mind hissed to me as I saw the pain in her eyes as she absorbed another blow. It was only after I heard a hiss escape from Alex's parted lips did I make my decision to loosen my hold around my blade.

"No," Alex called as she watched as my blade fall from my hand.

"Clearly you are the better fighter," I spoke tipping my head. Throwing her sword to the ground I watched as Alex came towards me, once again I saw hate for me flame in her eyes.

"No I am not as you truly have not fought me," She spoke with venom as she grabbed fistfuls of my tunic pulling down to her height. "Until you fight me properly we do not know who the better fighter out of us is," Her eyes blazed as she spoke to me. "This is not finished," She called as she stormed away from me for the second time today, something I was tiring of happening.

"Did you really need to rile her further?" It was Tania who spoke, shocking me as I assumed it would have been Carrie to question my actions towards Alex. "She normally calms down after a fight but you seem to be the only person with a skill for enraging Alex when no-one else can."

A glare was the only response Tania received from me as I shoved passed the crowd that hadn't yet dispersed from the entrance of the training ground and headed towards the stable, getting away from everything and going for a ride would clear my head, _getting closer to Alex would clear things even better_ my mind countered. Growling to myself I sped up, _the faster I get away for here the better_ I forced myself to believe as I roughly threw my saddle onto my horse.

"And where do you think you're going?" Lancelot's flirtatious voice called from the entrance of the stables.

"Away," I spoke without looking away from my horse.

"Well unfortunately you can't," He continued with a chuckle, "As our services are required later today, so by Arthur's orders you are not permitted to go running off to go hide in the forest." As he came to the end of his sentence I watched as his lips began to curl up in a sly smile as I felt my brows furrow in anger.

"Why am I so desperately needed? Can't the rest of you just handle it?"

"It is Lady Elhanan's wedding later today and she has requested, through Arthur of course, that _his _knightsaccompany _her _knights to it." Chuckling Lancelot shock his head before continuing, "You should see the last order she placed on her knights, you'll enjoy it." The twinkle in his eyes made me worry, "Oh and for god's sake man clean yourself up a bit, it is a wedding after all," He called as he rounded the corner of the stables.

Throwing my saddle to the ground I cursed, _why? Why, am I not allowed to escape from temptation? I should be focusing on my duty to Roman rather than woman! _I groaned to myself as my thoughts continued to fly through my head. After I finished tidying away everything on the stables I went to the bath house to tidy myself up, _it's the least I can do, _I thought to myself.

Returning to my rooms I dressed in a pair of fresh leather breaches and a clean tunic in an attempt to look presentable. It was just as I buckled my belt and scabbard around my waist was I interrupted by knocking on my door, as I threw it open I was met by Gawain.

"We're all meeting in the Great Hall now, are you coming?" Nodding I checked to see if I had everything I needed I closed the door to my rooms and followed Gawain down to the Great Hall in silence.

As we entered the Great Hall I stopped short, _why goddess do you hate me? _My mind spoke as I saw Carrie, Alex, Tania, Sarah and Beth standing around the edge of the round table in ankle length Roman style dresses. Lancelot was right; I did like Lady Elhanan's last order, too much probably. My eyes were drawn to Alex instantly, the back of her dress dipped low enough to reveal the tips of the whip marks spread across her back, the crisscross patterns seem to glow in the candle light of the Great Hall. It was only as she bent down did my mind start filtering in the real world, catching the conversation that was happening between Alex and Tania.

"I know we promised Elhanan that we would wear these _orders_," Tania's face screwed up in distaste as she fiddled with the edging of her dress. "But where am I supposed to put a blade?"

"You got to be creative," Alex chuckled as she lifted the bottom of her dress till it reached the top of her thigh. She continued to talk with Tania but my mind drew blank, all my focus was solely on the sight of Alex's toned, milky thigh being revealed. As I watched Alex continued to tie a strap of leather around her thigh, securing a dagger in place I couldn't stop myself from imagining that thigh wrapped tight around my waste. _Shit, _I thought again for what seemed the a hundredth time today, _hiding in the forest would have been such a better idea than living through this torture, seeing but not allowed to touch. _

**Hope you enjoy, sorry for the wait just school getting back in action gave me more work to do. xo**


	11. Chapter 11

**Ok I'm really sorry I've taken so long to upload a new chapter but seeing as this is my first weekend of training since ... well for a long time forgive me lol so stick with me, I've started the next chapter and everything so hopefully it will be up soon. xo **

Chapter 11 – Tristan's POV

_I'm in Arthur's hell! _My mind cried out as I walked behind Alex, her hips swaying gently as she walked towards where Elhanan was to be wed. Alex's sent swirled around me as I walked be hide her, clouding my mind and causing my imagination to run wild, conjuring up images of Alex and myself together, ones that would result in injury to my person if Alex were to ever find out. I couldn't catch the groan that escaped my mouth as one particular image play out in my mind, as the groan left my lips Alex searching gaze found me.

"What's wrong with you?" Alex spoke, stopping in front of me to whisper her question, the neck line of her Roman gown plunged downwards as she leant towards me, allowing me a glimpse of what I had just been fantasising about.

"You," I growled out without thinking. The look of hurt on her face was what made me realise my mistake, _shit, _my mind hissed, _can't catch a bloody break can I, _I continued to grumble to myself before I continued, "Look forget about it and let's just get to your mistresses wedding, I don't want to be here."

"I don't care if you don't want to be here, but you will not ruin this day for Elhanan by being the pigheaded ass that you are." Alex threw back at me.

"I didn't mean it like that," I spoke, catching her arm as she turned, reframing her from storming off.

"Let go," She growled at me her eyes blazing, _her eyes look so beautiful, _some separate part of my mind mused the other part just didn't want her to leave.

"No!" I growled, tightening my grip around Alex's arm as she tried to wriggle free, "I'm sorry alright, I didn't mean what I said I was angry at myself and I lashed out at you."

"And why were you angry with yourself?" Alex asked as she slowed her movements, genuine care showed in her eyes.

"What's keeping you two?" Gawain's gruff voice called saving me from answering Alex's question. I silently thanked every god I knew as I answered.

"Nothing," My gaze never left Alex's eyes as I continued, "We were just talking we're coming now."

"You better be coming because I think Sarah might just kill you if you make us late," A dull thud was heard as Gawain finished his sentence, _Sarah_, I mused, _she must have hit the bastard_.

Sliding my hand down Alex's arm from where I had been holding it I slid my hand into hers. I watched as Alex's eyes widened at my gesture, stepping to the side I gently tugged her into following me as we crossed the courtyard to where Elhanan was to be married at.

The feelings that surrounded me as I walked with Alex beside me confused me. I was only ever content when I was out scouting the solitary woods outside Hadrian's Wall by myself but as I crossed the courtyard I felt content with Alex at my side, as if some unknown weight had been lifted from my shoulders. Shaking my head I placed that particular thought to the back of my mind and promised myself to look further into it later.

As we all walked into the villa I had to swallow back the bile that threatened to rise in my throat. The villa was Roman at its best, mosaic flowers swirled across the floor, red and purple curtains flowed over every available surface and the smell of self-indulgence and greed stained the air.

"This Roman seems to have better taste in woman than in decor," Carrie stated quietly so only are small group could hear.

"Please," Sarah butted in, "The only reason he has good taste in woman is because said woman got forced upon him by someone who had more power than him meaning he couldn't decline."

"I don't care if he was forced or not," I was surprised by the menace in Alex's voice, "He just better make sure he treats her right or I swear it will be his last deed on this earth." I felt a shiver run up my spine even though her threat wasn't directed towards me and by the looks on my brothers faces it seemed that they to feared the deathly oath she had made even though it was not towards them either. She reminded me of her brother in so many ways, her fierce protectiveness of the ones she loved was a trait Bedivere also had and showed on many an occasion.

Carrie, Sarah and Tania all snorted at Alex's comment seeming to enjoy the image of Alex killing Elhanan's soon to be husband, _fierce woman these are indeed if they laugh at death, _I thought to myself. I didn't miss the sly grin that crossed Beth's lips either, _so she isn't as meek as she seems, _my mind mused, I wasn't the only one who caught Beth's grin as I saw Dag cock his head towards Beth. Beth's grin turned to a true smile as she placed her hand on Dag's chest as if to sooth him while whispering into his ear. As I cocked an eyebrow in question at Dag my only answer from him was a smile so coded that it could only mean that the meek Beth was promising things to Dag that no innocent should know how to utter, _corrupted women, _I chuckled to myself, _maybe they are better for us than uncorrupted woman, more sport._

"If you grin widens any more I will have cause to start worried scout," Alex whispered voice pulled me from my thought. "May I ask what makes you grin so?"

"Corruption and its affects, my Lady," I chuckled out loud when her playful face turned into a mock hurt face.

"My Lord," She continued in a polite tone. "Have I not told you to stop calling me _my Lady_? I am sure I have," to which she hit me square on the chest winding me and forcing me to grip her arms to save myself room falling backwards, _damn woman and her strength, _my mind groaned.

"And haven't I told you my love, that I will not fight you till you are fully healed?" I spoke lowly, slowly stroking down her arms to wrap my hands round her ribs, I rubbed circles with my thumbs to enforce what part of her needed to be healed.

Without realising both of us had stepped forward so now we stood but a breath apart, my hands holding her tight to my own body while Alex's hands laid upon my chest. Being this close to her was starting to affect me as I could already feel my pulse speeding up in my veins, my head becoming clouded and single minded from her scent and my body's obvious pull towards her becoming present below my belt.

"Tristan ..." Her lips voiced, her breath blowing over my own lips and I lost what strength of control I had as I leant my head down towards hers and she slowly titled hers up to meet mine.

"My knights!" A voice rang out through the hall were we all stood, the voice caused Alex to rip herself from my arms and leave my body suddenly cold from the loss of her. "You're here, oh I'm so happy, come, come, you must be seated quickly but you must help me finish getting ready. Arthur, you and your knights can go on and be seated with the rest of the guests."

"Did you need to scream? I do like my hearing Elhanan," Sarah said as she embraced her soon to be ex-commander, but this embrace I only saw out of the corner of my eye as the only thing I was truly looking at was Alex. A blush had spread over her cheeks, _beautiful, _my mind spoke for me, _look up, look up at me please, _my mind continued to silently plead.

"Porcius, take the men through to the rest of the guests," The servant nodded to his mistresses wishes and headed towards the door at the end of the hall waiting for us to follow.

Just as I stepped forward I felt a smaller hand slip its way into mine, turning I saw Alex's face, still slightly flushed from her blush earlier looking up at me. She leant forward ever so slowly and when she was but a hairs breath form my face she turned her head and laced her sort lips to the skin of my cheek.

I was in shock as I walked away from Alex to stand with my brothers and Arthur waiting for the servant to open the door and let us through to the rest of the guest but I hid it well under my fridge. Even though my eyes were covered so those in front of me could not see me, I could still see the curious and smirking faces of my brothers as I drew closer to them.

"So it seems are lonely scout's bed shall not be so lonely anymore," Lancelot chuckled gruffly.

"Aye, are boy here isn't gona' be spending all those lonely nights in that forest now he's got a woman to keep his bed warm," Bors base tone rang out.

As I let my brothers laugh at my expense I nodded towards the servant to signal that we were ready to enter, as the door swung open their laughter died as we took in the scene in front of them.

"Men ..." Arthur's voice began.

**Okay there is a plot and I had to do this chapter in Tristan's POV to start off but it'll be back to Alex's next so please review and let me know what you think. xo **


	12. Chapter 12

**Told you I'd have this chapter up soon lol ok so I hope you like this chapter it gives you a bit more insight into some of the characters I think so ... enjoy xo**

Chapter 12 – Alex's POV

"You kissed the scout?" Tania's confused voice asked from the opposite side of the room from where I stood. We were now in Elhanan's private rooms after leaving the men to come and help her finish getting ready for her wedding.

Elhanan was sitting on a low wooden stool as Sarah stood behind her twisting her golden hair up into an elegant braid at the back of her head before pining it in place with an ivory comb. Carrie and Beth both sat upon the bed that sat in the middle of the room, its size caused it to take up most of the available space in the room.

"So the ragged scout did indeed take your fancy?" Elhanan's soft voice called from her stool, but that soft voice held an air of smugness to it.

"It wasn't like that," I answered without looking away from the window. In truth I had no idea what had possessed me to kiss Tristan, _you feel less lonely when you're with him, _my mind spoke, yet again making excuses for me that I didn't fully understand.

"They do not truly care about us, so why do anything with them," Carrie was still obviously pissed from are earlier encounter with the knights, I had never seen her forgive anyone other than us but I hoped she would be able to forgive the knight's over time.

"Just because you're pissed at them doesn't mean you can tell me what actions I am allowed to do," Turning to face her I continued, "And may I remind you, you were the first to have _actions _towards a certain knight." Her shocked face had me smirking on the inside but I didn't let it show, "So please don't lecture me about my actions, when yours are nothing to be measured up to." As I turned back to the window to watch people milling about in the streets, I heard the choked laughter of Sarah behind me before it was quickly masked behind a cough.

"Must you two fight on my wedding day?" Elhanan asked breaking up the tension that was enclosed in the room.

"They did it when they were back in Rome, why would they stop now?" The confused tone in Tania's voice seemed never to have left her as she spoke.

"The two of them only work well together when they're on the battle field killing people," Sarah spoke bluntly, the laugh she had once masked was now evident in her voice, "So why should they suddenly stop? Anyway it's one of my only true sources of amusement please don't make them stop!" Her voice held joking pleading as she knelt beside Elhanan.

The silence that drifted over the room wasn't the first awkward silence that had settled upon us over the years, but it always felt uncomfortable no matter how many times it had happened I thought to myself.

"We should head down stairs," Beth spoke up after awhile, being the sensible one as always, "Well only if you really want to get married Elhanan." Strained laughter filled the room as Elhanan nodded and started to rise from her chair.

"Lead the way you lot," She said with a small smile.

Me and Carrie lead the way, are heads bowed, as we reached the grand doors that would open to allow Elhanan to be wed. We paused at the door and waited for Elhanan to give her signal to open the door but instead she started to speak.

"I just want to say that you have been the only people that I have considered my closest family over the years you have served me," She looked at all of us in turn and gave us all a bright smile before nodding towards me and Carrie. "So as my last act as your commander, you are free from me."

The ceremony was quick and simple yet my head was miles away, my actions form earlier still confused me. As I walked towards the garden where everyone had gathered for the celebration, my head still spinning, I spotted Arthur and his knights gathered together having a conversation in hushed tones. What I also saw was the look of rage that seemed apparent on each knight's face. Turning I caught Carrie looking at me questioningly, cocking my head in the direction of the knight's I watched as she followed the direction, her eyes narrowing as she took in the scene the knight's made. Carrie walked across the garden till she was standing beside me. Her gaze never left the knight's as they talked in muted yet rush tones as she questioned me.

"What do you think their talking about?"

"We have every right to find out," I answered.

"And why would you think that?" She questioned, turning her head away from the knight's to look at me expectantly.

"Elhanan is no longer are commander but Arthur is," She nodded for me to continue when I passed to look once again at the cluster of knight's. "We have every right to know what are commander is saying to his knights as we are now his knights to."

"Well let's find out then," She spoke over her shoulder as she started walking towards the knight's, I rushed forward until I was parallel with her, as we drew closer I caught whispered comments, both angry and calm from the group of knight's in front of us.

"It's suicide to go into Woad territory!" Lancelot growled the dark look in his eyes could have caused fear in even the strongest of men.

"They are our orders Lancelot," Arthur spoke calmly, resting his hand on his friends shoulder, "We cannot go against our orders you know what would happen."

"What orders?" Carrie spoke as she closed the last of the distance between us and the knights in two strides, the all wore surprised expression at her voice, _all except Tristan_, my mind concluded,_ he can keep everything hidden behind that mask of his._

"Tell us," I spoke, breaking the deepening silence that was forming, "Don't make me look for my answers." I saw Tristan's head cock as if daring me to try; I just raised my eyebrow at him before turning away from him to look at Arthur. The feelings from earlier swirled within me with renewed force as I felt his stare penetrate me from behind.

"It is nothing for you to..." Arthur began before he was halted by Carrie's words.

"It's hardly nothing to us Arthur," She paused as if waiting for him to try and oppose her, "We are your knights also now so anything that concerns you and your _men _must also concern us." I watched as a victorious smile spread across Carrie's lips as Arthur hung his head slightly in defeat, I shrugged my shoulders in answer to Lancelot's unanswered question as he caught my eye, flicking his eyes in the direction of Carrie before raising them in question.

"We have been given orders," Arthur began but was yet again cut off but Carrie.

"Alex," I knew by her tone what she wanted from me and acted.

Turning my head I spotted my sisters standing talking, licking my lips I let out a whistle, one that instantly made my sisters turn in the direction of the noise looking for me. When the gazes landed on me I gave a jerk with my head and they started to move towards us, as I turned back towards Arthur I saw out of the corner of my eyes that Tristan's eye's seemed solely focused on my lips. As I drew my bottom lip between my teeth, biting it slightly I saw his gaze narrow and when he raised his eyes to look at me directly, black eyes burned into mine causing my body to heat up instantaneously.

"They have every right to hear what you say," Carrie's voice made me dragged my eyes away from Tristan's but it did not make the heat that had rose in my body leave. "As they also belong to you now," The venom in her voice wasn't masked; her distaste for being kept in servitude I noticed was surfacing yet again.

"What seems to be the problem?" Sarah said as she slid in between Gawain and Galahad, Tania and Beth close behind her.

"We have new orders," Carrie answered before turning to look at Arthur, a sickly sweet smile formed on her lips. "Our new commander was just going to share them with us, weren't you Arthur?"

"Carrie," I growled out in warning. Sometimes she misjudged where her boundaries lay and it always ended up pissing me off when she did, _one of Carrie's many talents, _my mind mused.

"We have orders to go save a Roman family, we leave at first light." _Just what we needed, _my mind sneered, _just when we are at such a stage of unrest we get orders to go on a rescue mission, perfect._

"And you're only telling us this now?" Carrie squeaked.

"When did you expect them to tell us Carrie?" Sarah was the first to answer and for once I actually agreed with her. "When we were in the middle of the ceremony or just as we walked past them as we entered? They let Elhanan have her wedding in peace, which you should be grateful for!"

"Grateful? Grateful? They hid this from us, hushed away in their own private conversation! We had to come over and ask for the orders! That, we should not have to do!" Carrie hissed out so as not to disrupt the people around us.

"Carrie..." Lancelot spoke calmly, but Carrie never seemed to hear him as she continued to rant on.

"We are his knights now! We shouldn't have to ..." I clapped my hand over Carrie's mouth, shocking her into silence.

"Hush you voice sister," I warned, "You have spoke your piece either let Arthur speak his side or leave and calm down." I didn't release the hold I had over her mouth until I felt the tension leave her and she had nodded her decision.

"I'll go prepare," She spoke quietly before she left with her head bowed; Lancelot following close at her heals like a lost puppy.

"Two fights in less than an hour," Sarah spoke as Carrie and Lancelot's forms disappeared round the corner of the villa. "Are you trying to achieve some record or is it for something else?"

Sarah was baiting me this I knew, so I ignored her questioning and turned to Arthur, "How dangerous will this be?" Arthur made to shake his head but I spoke quickly, "Do not lie to me, I overheard what Lancelot said."

"We must cross into Woad territory," Arthur spoke gently, but did not seem to wish to continue further, so I turned to the one person I knew would answer me honestly.

"Tristan," I asked patiently.

"Prepare yourself well, for you will need it." A shiver ran down my spine at his words and for the first time his words made me shiver not out of warmth but out of fear for what lay ahead.

**Ok hope you liked it **** sorry if there's any mistakes lol review please xo**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13 – Tristan's POV

_My hand ran up the silky skin of her thigh, lifting it so that it sat high upon my waist allowing me to grind myself into her, the heat of her core on my bare skin caused me to groan at the sensation. _

"_Please..." Alex's breathless voice begged in my ear, her head thrown back in pleasure, allowing me to kiss and nibble my way up her throat. _

"_What do you want, my love," I spoke, my voice deep with lust as I kissed a particularly sensitive spot on her throat, I nipped it gently with my teeth, marking her and causing her to mewl in pleasure. "Tell me what you want and it will be yours," I breathed into her ear, her body arched at my words, causing Alex to be pressed more tightly to me, allowing no space between are bodies._

"_You," Her voice begged, "Please!" Her needy plea only served to make me want to tease her more, to hear her beg for me again, but her pleas were like a double edge sword. They caused me to be aroused beyond belief, I needed her just as much as she needed me so it seemed, and the need for her had become so painful now that I had to give her what she wanted, what we both wanted._

"_Tristan..." I groaned at the sound of my name falling from her lips._

"Tristan!" The sound of my name accompanied by banging startled me awake, causing me to bolt upright, "Tristan you git, wake up!"

Sitting up I rubbed my face with my hands trying to rid my mind of the images in it, _not again, _I pleaded with my mind, _why, must you torture me with these thoughts? _Escaping for my torturous thoughts about Alex seemed to have become impossible now. Ever since seeing Alex in the Great Hall fixing her dagger to her thigh, my mind hadn't stopped conjuring up images of Alex and myself together, not allowing me a moment's peace or rest. _It's not like you don't like it, _some part of my mind whispered to me, _how true you are, _I answered back, _but how I wish it was real rather than fiction_.

"Tristan? Its dawn you should be up by now," The voice had now become clear, grabbing my breeches I tugged them on forcefully, hissing when by hand brushed my still hard erection. I threw on my longest tunic, one that came past my hips, hiding the large bulge in my breeches that seemed not to want to go down, thank_ god. _

"What?" I growled shocking an equally tired looking Lancelot, _looks like someone got about the same amount of sleep that I did, _I chuckled to myself.

"I was sent to get you, mind you, you seemed to like groaning in your sleep rather than preparing for the mission." The glint in his tired eyes was not well hidden, _damn it, _I cursed silently.

"I'm coming down now," I spoke as I turned to gather my weapons that I had left out the night before after I had cleaned and sharpened them.

"You might want to cover yourself better before you come down." _Fuck, _I hissed, turning I caught a glimpse of Lancelot walking around the corner at the end of the corridor, his shoulders shaking silently in laughter.

It had rained all night so it seemed as I walked towards the stable, the rain had started just before supper last night and had never eased by the looks of it as it had caused the stable yard to turn into a mud pit and had caused rivers of water that form, that ran down the streets. As I entered the stables the sound of voices seemed to increase an air of frustration tainted the stable.

"The only thing this bloody country is good at is raining," Galahad grumbled. "Is some sun too much to ask?"

"Aye pup," Bors roared, "Sun would be nice but think about riding in that heat boy, you'd died."

"Then at least let it be dry enough for us to have a solid path!" _Forever moaning, _my mind reflected as Galahad continued to speak. Out of the corner of my eyes I caught a flash of black material fall from the top of the stable doors, crouching low before disappearing round the edge of the door and out of the limits of my peripheral vision.

"Where are the women?" Dagonet asked never looking up from the saddle of his horse.

"They'll be here soon," I answered, _that black cloth must have been Alex_, I mused; _she's the only one that would walk the rooftops in this bloody weather_. Just as I had finished my thought Carrie came walking into the stables, Alex and the rest I noticed walking a few paces behind her as if they didn't want to be there.

"How soon can you be ready?" Arthur questioned as the women took their posts beside their horses. Alex's was a chestnut red, who bowed its head, nuzzling its nose into the curve where her shoulder and neck met as to greet his mistress. _Lucky bastard, _my mind snapped before I could control my thoughts,_ shit, I'm jealous of the bloody horse! This day can't get worse. _

"Not long," Carrie answered, "Just let us saddle our horses then we can be on our way." During Carrie's answer I noticed the subtle nod that Alex sent towards Sarah, _something's wrong, _my mind warned.

Making my way over towards where Alex stood saddling her horse I contemplated to best way to ask about what I saw. It shouldn't have shocked me that I should never have bothered to try and surprise question Alex because as soon as I had stopped beside her she answered my unspoken question.

"Carrie was out of line yesterday so we talked to her," Alex spoke with a shrug of her shoulders, she never faced me just stroked the flanks of her horse, soothing him as he got accustomed to the added weight of his saddle.

"There's more to it than that," Alex froze but she showed no movement in answering, "What are you and Sarah planning?" I asked again, begging her silently not to anger me with her response.

"Nothing," She spoke in a whisper.

"Bullshit," I whispered harshly at her, turning her so she face be by grabbing tight hold of her forearm, "I know you're lying to me so let's try this again, what are you and Sarah planning?" Standing this close to her was wearing on my self control, my anger causing my bloody to flow quicker and my breath to deepen making me inhale her sent more. It was slowly driving me to distraction but I needed my answer so I prayed to the gods for strength.

"We're trying to make sure Carrie stays calm and doesn't act like she did yesterday," She spat at me. I was unprepared for what Alex did next though; she stepped closer towards me causing my grip on her arm to fall so that my hand sat splayed on her hip. She stood so close that our chest were just brushing against each other and grab a fistful of my tunic, dragging me down to her height before growling at me. "Whether you think I'm still lying to you now is your _own_ damn problem, but I swear if you ever accuse me of being a liar again _just _because _you _see something that doesn't sit right with your conscience, I will end you, and that I will promise you. Do you understand me?" I had missed most of her speech as I was to captivated by the rage in her eyes that was quickly turning me on more than the dream I had had this morning had, I swallowed quickly, smothering the groan that was starting to rise deep within my throat.

"I'd like to see you try, my Lady," I could see that Alex was nearly at the point of exploding and it only served to make me want to enrage her more. She was more beautiful by the second in my eyes, the rage made her cheeks red from her blush and her eyes sparkled with her emotions, _kiss her, kiss her, _my mind chanted. My self control was completely gone from my body now; my body was ruled not by reason but by the lust and raw need that I so deeply felt for her now. Bending my head to face her I lifted hers closer to mine by tilting her chin with my forefinger and then I slowly began to follow the orders my mind was screaming at me.

**Okay so here's the next chapter, you have to tell me what you think please **** tell me what you think or if you have any ideas of your own let me know it's all welcome lol hopefully I'll have the next chapter up soon so stay tuned lmao xo**


	14. Chapter 14

**Before I start I'd just like to say thank you to all of you who have reviewed **** love you all lol and just to let you know to keep it up I love feedback good or bad lol.**

**I've decided to mix up the order of the point of views and see how it goes. I'm going to try doing two from Tristan's POV and then one from Alex's because A) I think some of you like Tristan's POV better and B) I think I can convey more of the story through his POV. So let me know what you think please, because if you don't like it I can always switch it back **

**So sorry from the long note but thanks for reading so ... back to the story **** xo**

Chapter 14 – Tristan's POV

_Blue, _it wasthe only word that could completely describe how I felt as we trudged through the still torrential rain. B_lue mood, blue feeling, blue balls! _I had to growl at where my train of thought was going, _you mean who, _my mind corrected form me. Ever since we had left Hadrian's Wall, I hadn't been able to keep one single train of thought that didn't stray and lead my back to the moment that was ruined by Arthur giving us the order to ride. _So close, _my mind whimpered and for once I was in agreement with it. Having Alex so close yet so far out of my reach was beginning to get painful for more than one part of my body.

"Tristan?" Arthur's voice jostled me from my thoughts making me jerk hard on my horse's rains. "We need to take shelter from this rain for the night; none of us are going to make it much further like this." As he spoke he cocked his head in the direction of Tania. As my eyes landed on her I saw her shivering in her saddle. Her rain drenched black cloaked was plastered to her body and after seeing such a pitiable site I couldn't help but agree, nodding my head at Arthur. "Go check that out crop of tress over there and take Alex with you." As Arthur finished his order a cold shiver ran up my spine and it wasn't for the rain dripping down it.

"No." It came out blunt but it was necessary. If I was left alone with her there was no telling what I would do, my restraint was wearing thin. I had had all day to calm down after this morning and yet I had calmed little, the images both real and of my own making kept me on edge and only served to make my hunger for Alex grow further.

"No?" Groaning I tipped my head back at the sound of Alex's questioning tone, _you could tell them the real reason, that you don't want to be left alone with her, _my mind spoke coyly, _I liked to keep my manhood attached to my body so would you kindly shut it, _I snapped back at my minds comment_. _My internal conversation was cut short by Arthur speaking to me.

"Tristan she goes with you, and that's an order." Arthur's calm tone left no room for argument s so I pulled the rains on my horse sharply, some part of my mind registered that I should feel sorry for my horses was, seeing as it seemed to be bearing the brunt of my anger as I turned to face the direction of the forest Arthur had suggested we stay in.

Kyra sat on my arms patiently as I removed the hood from her head, "You ready to go out little one? Aye, you are." Flexing my arm Kyra jumped down, spreading her wings and heading in the same direction as I was pointed in. With one look back over my shoulder at Alex I kicked my horse into action. As I galloped off I managed to hear a muffle curse come from Alex and I couldn't help the grin that threatened to overcome me. The sound of Lexus's bark and the sound of horse's hooves beating the ground behind me signalled that Alex had started to follow me and by the sound of it she was closing the distance between us quickly.

"Leave the horses here," I spoke as we broke the edge of the small forest, "We'll move quieter without them."

Out of the corner of my eyes I watched as Alex did what I said without question, her mask was now firmly in place so I couldn't make out what emotions she was feeling, _it's your own fault, _my mind kindly decided to remind me.

"I take it are silent truce has come to its end then?" I heard Alex ask as I fixed my daggers, tightening them to my chest, it was the first actually sentence she had spoken to me since we left Hadrian's Wall as she had stuck to one word answers since we had left. Turning I saw her crouch down stroking Lexus's head calming him so that he would stay quiet while we searched.

"Look..." I began, only to pause, I truly could not give her an answer without telling her everything and spilling all my secrets, _well those that included her at least_, my mind corrected for me.

"I get it don't worry," She spoke softly as she stood to face me, her mask was in place but her eyes, they held the truth. They held the hurt she felt because of my inability to speak about what I actually felt and it caused my heart to clench tightly. "If I act properly around you, only in the manner befitting two soldiers that serve alongside each other, with no emotional baggage, no talk of my past, we should be able to do our duty without incident." She cocked her head to the side and gave me a small smile, one that never met her eyes though.

I watched as Alex turned from me and walk further into the trees surrounding us and I felt, for the first time in my life like I was losing control, like the hold I had on my own being was slipping. Words always failed me, and my actions always spoke volumes louder than any of my words could, so I decided, as Alex's figure started to merge into her surrounding that I needed to take action. With one look at back at the animals to see that they were safe I took off heading in the direction I had just watched Alex disappear in. As I closed the distance between myself and Alex, following all the twists and turns she made through the dense undergrowth, my mind and body suddenly became driven to the same purpose.

Catching up with Alex, I grabbed her arm, spinning her around and pressing her back against the convenient tree beside her. I covered her mouth with my hand to capture the shocked gasp that came from her and I couldn't help but growl at her as I spoke.

"You never turn away from me," My voice was deepening quickly and as I pushed myself closer to Alex's body I could feel her breathing speeding up. "And you don't get it," I sounded cruel to my own ears but I couldn't help it, I needed to make her understand. "If I wanted you to act like a proper soldier around me I would have made sure of it ages ago with or without your consent." She made to speak around my hand but I tightened my grip signalling for her to stay silent. The glare she threw at me didn't faze me, it only caused me to push on, the feel of her body pressed so close to mine caused my body to slowly react in the only way possible. "And you would do your duty without incident anyway; it's in your blood, you would never fail at your duty so the way you act towards me has no relevance," Her eyes went wide in shock but I continued quickly trying to make her understand my need for her. "The way you act towards me, I want you to continue to act that way but I want more." I was running out of things to say, I had spoke more to her in the last few moments than I had to some my brothers over all the years we had spent in servitude and I was also, even though I was loathed to say it, loosing courage, _act, _my mind screamed at me and for once, were Alex was concerned, I followed it.

Ripping my hand from Alex's mouth, I heard her gasp for a breath just before my lips crushed hers. I groaned at the final relief I got of feeling them against my own, the real feel of them was so much better than any dream had been. Her body froze for mere seconds before her hands shot up, one grabbed a fistful of my hair, causing her to drag my mouth closer to hers while the other grabbed hold of my shoulder allowing her to leverage her body so that it was closer to mine.

Pushing Alex's body further into the tree caused her to whimper; I committed the sound to my memory and prayed, to any god that would listen, that I would be allowed to hear it again and soon. I ran my hands down Alex's panting body not stopping till I reached to the backs of her thighs, bending my knees slightly I lifted Alex so that her legs could wrap themselves tightly around my waste allowing Alex to feel how hard she made me. At the feeling of me at her core Alex gasped, opening her mouth wide, taking advantage of her shocked gasp I thrust my tongue into the wet cavern of her mouth. The taste of her, sweet like honey, yet with a hint that could only be pure her assaulted me, causing a deep moan to form in my throat. She kissed me with as much passion as I kissed her with, wh_y did you deny yourself this for so long, _my mind spoke. How was beyond me as I could not form any words of my own, the sensations running through me overriding any other process in my brain.

Alex tore her mouth from mine but it didn't stop me from moving my lips to the soft skin of her throat, biting, nipping, licking at it before, soothing the sting I knew she would feel. The moans I drew from Alex between her gasps for breath and her whispering my name like a prayer was prize enough but I still wanted more.

"Tristan," I heard Alex gasp but ignored her, favouring to bite down on where her neck and shoulder met causing her to buck hard against me. "Tristan," She repeated my name tugging my head away from my newly discovered spot to look at her. "We need to go back to the others." The look I threw at her had made grown men run but at this moment in time caused her to giggle. After she calmed herself slightly she continued, "We've been her long enough, we have to go tell the others it is safe to stay here for the night."

"I don't want to leave," My voice was ruff with arousal and I watched as her eyes became glossy as I spoke, something I couldn't help but note for later.

"Neither do I love," _Love, I could get used to her calling me that, _I mused happily, "But if we don't leave now we will never leave here and then they'll come looking for us." The smirk that spread across her face told me exactly what she thought would cause us not to leave this spot but I also didn't want to be found by the others like this. The way she looked, kiss swollen lips, hairs mused because of my hands, the flush that burned red in her cheeks, this was mine, only mine to see.

Pulling her body tight to mine, I slid her down my body taking whatever fiction I could in my last moments alone with Alex. A groan formed deep in my chest at the feel of her, the loss of heat as Alex stepped away from me when her feet landed on the forest floor was sudden and something I didn't like.

**So here you go **** hope you like sorry if there's any spelling/grammar errors :/ lol so review and let me know what you all think xo**


	15. Chapter 15

**Ok I'm really sorry it took me so long to update things have been a little mental :( but here you go :) lol and I'd also like to thank all those who reviewed ^^ so other than that I hope you enjoy this chapter xo**

Chapter 15 – Alex's POV

I watched as the rain dripped slowly through the canvas that we had put up for shelter from the rain less than an hour ago before I turned my head outwards, watching the horses as they crowded together. They were settled around the base of a large oak tree that sat just at the corner of our small camp, we had tied the horses trying to allow them as much warmth and shelter as possible.

"I miss the heat," Sarah's tired voice drew me back into the conversation that the others were having around me but I raised my eyes from the forest that was in front of us, something about it captivated me. "I liked being able to go on a mission and not get soaked to the bone in the first two minutes of travel and then to continue getting trenched when your under bloody cover!"

"Wait till the summer," Gawain spoke up trying to calm Sarah, "the summer here is beautiful and warm I promise ya'." I didn't need to be looking at Gawain to know that he was flashing Sarah one of his boyish smiles, the ones that managed to turn Sarah, a battle worn fighter into a naive, giggling girl. As if right on cue her girlish giggle rang out through the camp, _that smiles going to get her into trouble one day, _my mind chided at her.

"What are you staring at?" The low sultry voice made me jump slightly but I manage to hide it well. As I turned my head slowly to the right I was met by a pair of dark jewelled eyes, eyes that could only ever belong to Lancelot.

"I'm watching," I answered with a slight shrug, the movement caused pain to ripple through my shoulder, _damn that bloody tree, _I growled internally. Clamping my hand over the wound on my shoulder I put pressure on it trying to massage the pain out, but it did nothing and only caused more pain to flare up.

"Be careful with that shoulder or you'll only damage it further," Lancelot spoke, his eyes were watching as my hand rubbed at my wound, his words held a caring tone but there was also something else behind them something I couldn't put my finger on. "And watching what? I can barely see through the rain so how can you? Or do you have those same heightened senses that our beloved brother Tristan has? He can see for miles with those eyes of his I'm sure of it."

"Firstly," I began, pausing to turn away from Lancelot and his piercing gaze, his gaze told me he knew more than he should but about what I didn't know, "Thank you for your concern but do not worry your pretty little head, I can look after myself just fine." Taking another look through the opening in the canvas I could have swore I saw a smudge of blue run through a small opening in the tree's, shaking my head I decided to continue answering Lancelot's questions. "It's too quiet so I'm watching to make sure that there's nothing out there and no I don't have heightened senses I'm just good at what I was trained to do."

"You confuse me just like Tristan does," Lancelot chuckled, "You have this gift at seeing what others can't and not necessarily in the forest."

As I went to look at Lancelot's face to try and gage what he meant, he rose, turning his back to me, hiding the only way I could read him and walking over to where the rest of the group were huddling around the fire, trying to regain some of the warmth the cold, wet weather had stole from them.

"You are not the only one confused by him," I mumbled more to myself than Lancelot's retreating figure before I looked back out towards the forest.

The little light that managed to make it through the thick canopy of trees around are camp made the forest look dense, the tall trees seemed to be closing in on each other, fighting for space, their solid branches caused the forest floor to look like a dark maze full of intimidating twists and turns.

"No matter how long you stare out there you'll still not be able to figure out what is wrong," Tristan's voice didn't surprise me, I had grown used to his unexpected and sudden appearances, "We need to go look."

"At the least it would settle my uneasy feeling about this place." I spoke nodding my agreement to go scout the forest around our small camp, it wouldn't take that long in any case, there was a silent pause before Tristan spoke again.

"Lancelot say's your shoulder's bothering you?" _Damn it, _I hissed to myself.

"Did Lancelot tell you personally or were you listening to mine and Lancelot's entire conversation?" As I flicked my eyes up quickly to look at Tristan's face I noticed the slight sheepish expression that crossed it before it was hastily hidden behind his mask. "Tristan you know you could try talking to me like a normal person," I turned fully so I could look at him, "I would answer you honestly."

"Was it my fault?" His question was spoken so quietly that I barely heard it over the rain; it was as if he was somehow afraid of the words themselves.

"Tristan..."

"You said you would answer me honestly," He growled, cutting me off. Tristan slowly knelt down in front of where I sat, he cupped my face gently in one of his battle hardened hands and asked gruffly, "Was it my fault?"

"Yes but," Tristan went to turn but I caught the hand that was on my face with my own, tugging him back until he finally faced me again, "I never complained because it doesn't bother me."

"So flinching every time you move is normal!" I was shocked by his words and it took me a moment to realise what he was actually saying.

"You've been watching me?" Ever since we had arrived back from _scouting _this area to camp in I caught myself staring at the scout, but never once had I saw, nor felt him looking at me.

"That's not the point," He snapped at me, quickly continuing before I had a chance to retaliate. "I hurt you!"

"I am not some fragile little girl that you need to worry about! I'm not made of glass!" I spat angrily, the guilt I knew he was feeling had to be removed. "Please, Tristan," I spoke softly now, not wanting this to turn into another fight, "What we did, yes it caused me pain, but pain is something I'm used to and I don't care that my shoulder hurts, it was worth it."

"You shouldn't have to be used to pain," Tristan spoke in a defeated tone, his eyes falling from mine as he looked towards the forest.

"Well that is something only Rome can take the blame for love," As I breathed the last word Tristan's eyes snapped back to mine, and I noticed how dark they had suddenly become.

"Love," He spoke gruffly, before he tilted his head to mine, kissing me gently before pulling away far too soon for my liking, causing a whimper to be drawn from my lips, at the sound a smug smile spread across his lips.

"Just you wait," I warned quietly, noticing how his smile only widened at my warning before I continued, "And here I thought you'd come to take me on a scouting mission." Tristan let out his all too familiar dark chuckle before he answered.

"I did didn't I," He said, amusement clear in his voice, I felt relieve flood me at his now happier tone, "It is settled then, be ready shortly I must tell Arthur that we are going."

I had managed to dry my cloak out slightly since we had set up camp but it was still damp as I pulled it up over my shoulders, a shudder ran through me as the chill settled deep within my bones. As I waited by the entrance to the tent, I was joined by Gawain and Lancelot, even though I was confused by their appearance I didn't say anything, simply tightened my cloak around my shoulders, waiting for Tristan's arrival.

"About time Tris' I was starting to think you'd got lost, what took you so long?" Gawain's voice brought me out of my daydream that seemed to have settled upon me.

"I was getting something," Tristan's answered unfazed by Gawain's taunt.

"And what could have taken so long to find," Lancelot spoke joining in with Gawain.

Tristan ignored Lancelot's comment and kept on walking until he came level with me. I watched him curiously as he stopped in front of me; he raised his hands, placing them on each side of my face before pulling down the hood on my cloak.

"What are you...?" I was cut off as Tristan silenced me with a look, it was then I realise he had started to untie the material around his wrist. Once it had been untied he began to wrap it around my neck, as I tilted my neck so he had more space to work with, Lancelot's shocked filled voice rang out.

"Is that what I think it is?" At his question, I flicked my eyes in his direction only to see that both he and Gawain were now staring intently at my neck, but as I looked up in question at Tristan he looked unmoved by Lancelot's questions. If it hadn't been for the smug smile that had appeared across his lips I would never have suspected anything.

"What's on my neck?" I slowly spoke to no-one in particular but hoping for an answer.

"What have you and our scout been getting up to little one?" Lancelot asked mischief lingered deep within his question.

I went to speak but Tristan silenced my with a kiss to my forehead before he spoke, "We have a job to do, these two are helping us." He cocked his head in the direction of Lancelot and Gawain as I nodded my understanding.

"Do we need to split up," I spoke, relinquishing my thoughts so that they were now focused on the task ahead.

"No, it's too dark for us to go opposite directions," I nodded my agreement before continuing.

"Spacing, five metre's from each other at all times circling the camp as we move but making sure to keep a clear view on each other."

"Are you sure you aren't another Tristan?" I sent Lancelot a quick glare for his comment but I was stopped from replying by Tristan's gruff voice.

"Don't make me gag you Lancelot, you won't enjoy it." I felt a shiver run down my spine but it had nothing to do with my fear of Tristan, the way it which he controlled himself with such power caused liquid heat to form in my belly.

"Are we heading out any time soon?" Gawain asked, coughing slightly to hide his chuckle causing a small smile to pull at my lips. The only reaction Tristan gave to Gawain's question was to turn and start to head into the forest; his long strides forced me to walk quickly to keep up with him, the other two tight on my heals.

The darkness that was created by the forest made it hard to see anything and I had to squint slightly to make sure I kept Tristan, Lancelot and Gawain in my line of vision. As we walked we heard nothing, it was too silent, and every move we made felt like an eternity. The deathly silence caused worried to settle deep within me. In the distance I heard a cracking sound as if someone had stepped on a twig, signalling for the other to close up I started to turn in the direction of the sound.

Up ahead there was an area lit by a stream of light that managed to break through the impenetrable canopy above us and as I drew closer to it I started to make out shapes on the forest floor and around the edge of the pool of light. The shapes started to move sideways, as if they were swaying and as I came closer and closer I began to realise that they were not just shadows but people. _Woads, _my mind hissed at me, remembering the blue demons that Tristan had told me about so long ago.

An unnatural cry rang out through the gloom surrounding us and I could hear the sound of the others running to my side and I heard a gruff voice calling my name. I was about to answer when suddenly pain ripped through the back of my head and the forest around me began to turn and twist into a green blur, swirling together into streaks of blue that appeared between the green I could only guess was the trees before blackness descended upon me and my mind went blank.

**So that it, sorry if there's any errors or anything :/ lol but other than that review and let me know what you're thinking xo**


	16. Chapter 16

**I want to say a big thank you to those who have made this one of their favourite stories, put it on as an alert and who have reviewed ^^ your support keeps me writing :) I hope you enjoy this next chapter xo**

Chapter 16 – Tristan's POV

As I moved towards where Alex was advancing to, Lancelot and Gawain flanked me on either side. I had moved all of about five metres deeper into the forest before Woad's burst free of the shadows the trees created around us naturally.

The fight erupted quickly between us, our swords clashing violently with their daggers and other makeshift weapons. A Woad man dropped down from the canopy above, his blue face was contorted with rage and I prepared for an attack. With a quick scan around the area surrounding me I looked for any other Woad's waiting to attack, it was only then did I notice how Claire was being surrounded by dozens of Woad's. Before I could call to Claire the Woad man in front of me attacked. He slashed wildly at me with his dagger, slicing my forearm with his mad movements when my mind was distracted. The pain from his blow flared through my arm and I was drawn instantly back into my own fight. Momentarily distracted from the danger Alex was in.

Within seconds the Woad man in front of me fell to his knees on the ground at my feet. My sword having slashed at his stomach, gutting him like the wild animal he was. Spinning round I tried to get a good line of vision to where I had saw Alex but I couldn't through the rapidly darkening forest. The Woad's around us were falling back, disappearing into the forest as easily as they had appeared. The first feeling of dread started to settle in me at that moment.

"Where is she?" I growled as I ran over to where Lancelot and Gawain where standing. As I got closer I realised my brothers were standing over a dying Woad woman, a blade standing proud in the middle of her chest.

"You didn't see?" Gawain asked his face contracting into disbelief and confusion.

"See what," I spoke lowly, frustration building within me at the vagueness of Gawain's answer.

"They took her Tris'! _They _took her!" Gawain spoke quietly as I looked up at Lancelot, waiting for him to chide Gawain for being a git but he avoided my gaze, choosing to stare down at the injured Woad woman at his feet. _No, _my mind whimpered, _they can't have her! _It was my turn to look down at the Woad woman, rage rising in me at an alarming rate as I slowly knelt down beside the Woad woman's body.

"Where is she?" I snarled, asking where Alex was again, but the Woad woman never made a noise, never made a move to answer just lay there panting in pain. "Where have they taken her?" I roared at her passive form, a flinch ran through the woman's body at the sound, drawing a pained sound from her but still she did not answer.

"We are innocent of one crime but not this one." The Woad woman finally spoke but at her words confusion, rage and worried vied for first place within me.

"Where are they taking her?" I asked lowly, trying to get something, anything out of her.

"Merlin had her now, she will be safe. He does not want you injured. Our fight is with Rome not her slaves." As her last words slipped from between her parted lips a small shudder ran throughout the Woad woman's body.

"No!" I called out, grabbing and shaking the body.

"Stop!" I barely heard Lancelets loud call, and it wasn't until I felt myself being forcefully shoved to the ground and away from the Woad woman's empty corpse did reality set in.

"They have her," I heard my sorrow filled voice say as I sat there staring at the forest floor.

"Brother, we need to get back to the others, and quickly," Gawain said gently as he helped me up from my spot on the forest floor.

As we started our walk to back the camp I was in a complete daze. My mind was that distracted that all my defences were down; I even failed to notice we had arrived back at camp and it was only at the sound of Carrie's voice did my mind jump back into the real world.

"Where's Alex?" Her faced seemed to be composed and calm, but as she spoke Alex's name her voice cracked showing me what she was actually feeling, _panic._

"She's gone," I said bluntly, trying my hardest not to show how chaotic my emotions were at the moment.

"What?" Beth, Sarah and Tania's voices said in unison. There eye's wide with surprise.

I couldn't answer them, so I simply turned and walked over to where all of our horses were tied up under the big oak tree. In the distance I could hear Lancelot and Gawain's gruff voices explaining what had happened to us while we were scouting in the forest. As I tuned out their voices and the choked sounds that were coming from the Tania, Beth and Sarah, I slowly undid Alex's horse's reigns from around the base of the tree before leading her horse over to where my horse was grazing. I made sure to secure the reigns from her horse tightly to my own horses saddle making sure to keep them pulled tight at all times. _Keeping one of the last belongings of your love close, _my mind spoke, _one of? _I questioned my mind, not really expecting an answer though. Suddenly the sound of barking rang in my ears, and as I followed the sound round to the back of the tree I found Lexus standing there, patiently wagging his tail at me.

"Do you any idea where your mistress is boy?" I asked even though I knew Lexus could never answer me. The whimper Lexus let out let me know I wasn't the only one mourning Alex's loss deeply.

"Tristan," Carrie's voice had me spinning around quickly, my hand falling to rest on the hilt of my sword, a reflex I couldn't get rid off after so many years of servitude and battle. "You will find her, no matter the cost." The look in Carrie's eyes was desolate and empty. "I have not spent ten years fighting alongside Alex only to let her be taken by _your _ghosts." Carrie's words cut my deep, the pain in her words seeping into my heart mixing with my own already present pain.

"We will get her back," I said gruffly after I had swallowed the lump that had formed suddenly in my throat.

"Arthur wishes to speak to all of us," She said coldly before turning and walking away from me, heading back to the canvas shelter.

"Lexus you're with me until we get Alex back, understood," I stated calmly before I started to follow in the direction Carrie had went. I snorted in slight amusement as Lexus trotted along beside my legs, wagging his tail showing his agreement with my statement.

As I walked back into the camp, ducking under the canvas of the shelter and stepping into some cover from the elements, I was greeted by three tear stained faces and emotionally filled eyes from all. Carrie was the only one who looked bleak though. The others at least held hope in their eyes as well as pain. _"There's no worse death than the end of hope," _Arthur's words rang clear in my mind. The same words I had shared with Alex that had declared our small truce, a truce that felt like it had been made solid an eternity ago. Now as I looked at Carrie I could see the person I had once been. A body stripped of emotion and feeling. I had been that way since I had been ripped from my family and my homeland, left with a frozen heart that had now only started to thaw. _Alex,_ my mind all but whispered, showing me the reason for my now reinstated ability to feel. At her name my chest clenched tight and I had to fight of the urge to wrap my arms around myself, rubbing at my heart.

"Good, Tristan you are finally with us," Barely tilting my head in acknowledgement of Arthurs words I sat myself furthest away from everyone, Lexus curling up at my side as soon as I had sat down on the cold ground. "Now we can talk about what the Woad woman said and what we are going to do to get Alex back." There was silence, a silence that was only broke occasionally by the wind outside as it hit against the sides of the canvas shelter. "What did she say?" Arthur asked, slowly getting frustrated with our silence.

"_We are innocent of one crime but not this one_," I said quoting the Woad woman. I never lifted my head to look at Arthur as I spoke though. As I spoke instead I concentrated on scratching Lexus's head, getting distracted by the collar that had been placed around his neck. The intricate design that was carved into the leather and that reminded me so much of home.

"What does that mean?" Galahad asked slowly, his voice held the confusion that I had felt at the Woad woman's words.

"It means pup," Bors grumbled stiffly, "That they've been wrongly accused of somethin'. That's wrong in their opinion any way," He quickly tagged on at the end.

"What if it is to do with the Roman family?" Lancelot's question had my head shooting up at his direction of thought. "The Woad woman did say something about Rome, didn't she Tris'?" I was silent, and it wasn't until Arthur cleared his throat did I finally look at him.

"_Our fight is with Rome not her slaves_," I said, once again quoting the Woad woman. At my words Arthur's face fell, his eyes going darker and his pupils slowly narrowing in anger I guessed.

"You can't believe that Lord Marcus would lie to me! Would lie to the Bishop! He is a good man!" _Always seeing the good in people, _my mind spoke as Arthur came to his end of his short outburst.

"Arthur, must you always be this deluded?" Lancelot cried suddenly causing a shocked gasp to run through the women. "Lord Marcus would do anything if it meant his estate, property and wealth would grow. Even if that meant endangering his family if he had to."

"Be careful where you say things like that," Arthur warned as his second in command began to speak again, "Not everyone in this world believes you should be treated the same way that I treat you, as my equal, as my brother!"

"One thing that you forget Arthur," Lancelot spoke darkly, "You will never be my brother." At Lancelot's callous words, the hurt that flashed across Arthur's features before it was quickly hidden behind his mask would have caused guilt to rise up in even the most innocent of people.

"Be that as it may Lancelot," Arthur spoke thickly, pausing for a moment to breathe out a sigh before continuing. "It does not affect the way I care for all of you and act towards all of you."

"What do we do now?" Carrie asked slowly, cutting the tension that was quickly rising within the area we sat in.

"We go to the village, we look for Lord Marcus's family and then we look for Alex." I had no chance to object to Arthur's decision on what we were going to do as both his tone of voice and the look that sat heavy on his brow told me his mind was made up.

As the others started to drift away out from under the shelter after Arthur had left so that they could start to prepare to leave for the village as soon as possible I was left alone with my own thoughts, with only Lexus curled up at my side as company. Left alone to pray to god's that I had neglected over the years since I had been ripped away from the ones I loved, praying that they would keep Alex safe until I could reach her and keep her safe myself.

**So that's it, sorry if you manage to find any errors :/ lol all you have to do now is review :D xo**


	17. Chapter 17

**Okay sorry for the long wait my computer crashed so I haven't been able to upload but here you go :) hope you aren't to mad at me for taking so long ^^ enjoy xo**

Chapter 17 – Tristan's POV

I felt cold, hollow and unfeeling as we made our way through the dense foliage of the forest and made our way in the direction of the village Lord Marcus ruled over. The weather hadn't improved either, the rain was unceasing and a cold wind from the north signalled that a storm was brewing.

"How much longer will it be until we reach the village?" Carrie's tight lipped voice called over the hollowing weather at Arthur as she pulled her cloak closer to her, her teeth chatter the whole time she spoke.

"Tristan," Arthur's voice sounded tired as he ordered me to answer Carrie's question and I couldn't blame his lack of sleep, none of us had slept since Alex had gone missing.

"Once we break free from the forest it is but a mile, maybe two until we reach it." I answered simply, hoping my answer would cause us all to lapse back into silence so that I would be spared any more pointless chatter.

"What are we going to do when we get there?" Tania asked weakly, both the lack of sleep and the exhaustion for crying nonstop since she had heard the news of Alex's capture had taken its toll on Tania and even now the trails from her tears were still visible along her cheeks.

"We find Lord Marcus's family and then we find Alex," Arthur spoke with finality but his words only caused anger to rise within me, _what if we weren't in time to find Alex? _

"Putting Roman's before your own men," I spat harshly at Arthur, causing him to spin in his saddle to look at me, the sorrow he felt was clear in his expression but I couldn't bring myself to care, Alex was out there and I wanted her back.

"Tristan, pray tell me you do not take the same stand against me as Lancelot does? You best of all should know that I follow orders just as you all do." Arthur's words might have been the truth but they did nothing to quell the pain that I felt within me, the loss of Alex was something not even Arthur's well presented pleas could sooth. Even though it had only been a short time since Alex and her sisters had arrived, they had become very important to us all. Finding people, especially a woman who didn't cower in fear of what you could do to them because of the grotesque tales they had heard of you was rare and for woman to accept you and wish to be with you was even rarer. Something I was not willing to lose so soon after I had finally found it.

"My orders only brought me more orders and pain not titles and wealth." I snapped harshly at Arthur. I knew Arthur could no more throw off his birth right as I could my servitude to Rome but the fact that he seemed so uncaring to the fact that he was choice Rome over us hurt.

"Enough," Dag's gruff voice suddenly called, causing all of us to turn and face him, "Listen," He growled lowly, cocking his head as he listened, a signal for all of us. I followed Dag's lead, listening intently to see if I could hear what he had heard but it was a while before I heard anything.

"What the hell is that," Lancelot suddenly yelled, alarm colouring his tone of voice, panic bubbling right behind it.

"I don't know but we need to leave now!" I growled out as I pulled hard at my reigns, turning my horse in the direction I knew the village was in, whistling for Lexus as I did. I lead the way, checking behind me as I forced my horse faster that everyone was following me, only when we had burst free from the dense forest did we finally slow, calming our horses as we gathered ourselves together.

"What the hell was that?" Carrie spat as she tried to rein her horse in.

"Something I'd rather not try to meet," Lancelot snapped back at Carrie before I even had a chance to speak, "Would you rather have stayed there and died or try to save Alex?" Carrie didn't need to answer everyone knew were her priorities lay. Ever since we had left Hadrian's Wall there had been a rift forming between Carrie and Lancelot, one that seemed to be ever deepening rather than closing.

"Stop it! Both of you," Sarah called as she forced her horse to stand in between Lancelot's and Carrie's, "Neither of you are helping! If we don't hurry and find the Roman's there is a high chance we will never be able to find Alex alive." Sarah's honest words had both Carrie and Lancelot looking away shame clear on both their now pale faces but Sarah's words did the job, silencing the pair for the rest of the journey into the village. As we entered the village the bitter wind wrapped around us and I could see the snow clouds building above us.

"Arthur! Praise god you've arrived," Called a short and portly man in greeting as we reached the villa in the centre of the village, it was only as I drew closer did I see the arrogance that bleed into his face, the arrogance told me that his was thorough bread Roman.

"Lord Marcus," Arthur replied politely with a slight bow of his head, _nothing but the polite Roman, _my mind thought starkly.

"I am so glad you accepted the Bishops plea to help us," Marcus all but cooed at Arthur. I noticed how he showed no signs of remorse that his family was missing as he continued to fawn over Arthur, "I am sure that if anyone could find my family it is you." The man's words made me sick, and I could feel the bile rise in my throat as he continued to ramble, something didn't feel right to me about his words.

"We have other duties to attend to not just that of your family." Arthur's words caused my head to cock in his direction, my surprise hidden behind my fringe, and I watched with a slightly smug feeling as Marcus's face fell.

"What other duties could the bishop have possibly given to you?" Marcus stuttered out as a glare started to form across his features, the vein in his neck standing clear for all to see as his temper rose.

"My duty is also to my knights, and one of them was taken from me," Arthur's blunt words showed to all of us that he did truly care for us but they only served to enrage Marcus further.

"You are putting one lost Sarmatian dog before the lives of my family? How could you do that Arthur? You are Roman, you should know our lives are more valuable then theirs, they are slaves!" By the end of Marcus's rant I was all but growling at the man where as Lexus was actually barking at him. Leaning over my saddle I rubbed at Lexus's head trying to sooth him as I watched as Marcus huffed and flapped liked a dying bird before he finally stormed off towards the villa.

"Arthur," Lancelot spoke slowly, "I think I might owe you an apology," Lancelot spoke never looking at Arthur though.

"Apologising is a sign of weakness," Arthur said with a small smirk on his face, "Maybe you should try it more often, and that weakness might actually make you more human." The shock that was apparent on Lancelot's face when he spun round to look at Arthur caused all of us to chuckle.

"So where do we start?" Sarah spoke from Gawain's side.

"We need to talk to the guards, see what they remember from the night the family was taken," Arthur began as he surveyed the village around him before continuing.

"That is if they haven't drank themselves into a stupor between now and then and forgotten," Bors bored grumble caused us all to chuckle even Arthur before he continued to hand out orders.

"Tristan you'll need to scout the edges of the village, also look around the village and see if you can find anything that will help or that looks out of place." With a small nod of my head I let Arthur know that everything on my end would be taken care off.

"And what exactly will you are going to be doing Arthur? You know while the rest of us are looking for _clues_?" Carrie asked with a sarcastic edge to her voice as she moved her horse so that it stood beside Lancelot's, _someone's trying to make up, _I thought dryly.

"Talking to Lord Marcus," Arthur replied in a much drained voice.

"I'd rather be scouting that damn forest with Tris' than listen to that prick," Bors called out in his gruff voice before chuckling at his own insult. Just as we all began to move away to go about our own duty's the snow I had saw building earlier began. The rain had yet to stop and as the two began to mix I looked over at Lancelot, meeting his gaze, _rain and snow at once, a bad omen, _my mind reminded me cautiously.

**Alex's POV**

The unmistakeable metallic taste of blood filled my mouth was the first thing that I realised as I began to regain consciousness. My head was pounding and as I reached my hand around to the back of my head to check the damage that had been caused I let out an involuntary hiss as my fingers brushed over the very tender lump that had now formed. Opening my eyes was painful; the light even slightly dulled by whatever I was in still managed to feel like someone was trying to burn my eyes out. Once I had control my eye sight so that it had adjusted to the light I was able to start taking notice of where I actually was. The first thing I was able to make out was that I seemed to be in some kind of tent and that I was lying wrapped up in a pile of animal furs. As I looked further around the tent I saw that my weapons had all been laid out beside where I had been placed and that my armour was sitting polished and cleaned beside them. Rustling at the entrance to the tent had my body freezing automatically. The flap to the tent opened to reveal an old man with wispy gray hair and blue swirling patterns covering his face.

"Do not be afraid of me child I mean you no harm," As he spoke I noticed how his tongue seemed to be as blue as his face was but my small discovery was quickly shoved aside as my anger flared within me.

"If you mean me no harm why did you attack and injure me?" I growled out at the man in front of me, curling myself up into a ball so that I could put as much distance between me and this stranger as I could achieve.

"You know not who I am," The man said in a soft voice, cocking his head in a wistful manner, "You are not for this land are you?" I sat staring at the man, refusing to answer but I couldn't fight the worry that flared within me but I hid it, hoping not to show my capture what I truly was felling. "I am Merlin," _Merlin, _that name sounded so familiar but at the moment I couldn't place it. "I needed you here so that I could explain something to you, and in doing so help you and your brothers and sisters in arms, the fact that you were injured was an accident and for that I am sorry."

"Why do they need help," I snapped at this Merlin, the possessiveness over those I cared about over shadowing the fear for my own life I had at the minute, and over looking his apology for injuring me.

"The family Marcus had lost isn't lost at all it is a trap, a trap they have already fallen into, one that only you can help them out of." My mind descended into chaos as Merlin continued to talk.

"I don't understand," I said weakly, "Why would Marcus lie to Arthur, to the bishop?"

"Those child, are questions only he can answer and until then you must rest. You will have a tough journey ahead of you little one, you will need your rest." And with those words my world once again crumbled away into nothing but darkness, only this time I knew when I woke up, I had a purpose to fulfil.

**There it is, sorry if you find any errors and I hope you liked my little Alex input didn't want any of you to get to worried lol so all there's left for you to do is review and let me know what you thought :D merry Christmas/ Happy Holidays xo**


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18 – Tristan's POV

Lexus padded along beside me, just far enough from me that he wouldn't disturb any tracks that I might find, yet close enough that every so often his wagging tail caught the back of my knees.

"There's nothing here boy," I said in defeat as I looked down at Lexus, scratching him behind his ears. I had spent the last two days scouting around the village with Lexus by my side, spending from the moment the sun rose and until the darkness became too thick to see further than a foot in front of myself, looking for anything that could aid us. Today had been my last hope in finding anything that could hopefully lead us to Lord Marcus's family as when I woke this morning I noticed that the snow had started to lie, and now as the darkness closed in the ground was all but covered in a blanket of snow. "It's time we went back to the village Lexus. Let us hope that the others have found something." The walk back to the village was a silent one, silence that was only occasionally broken by the sound of Lexus running off; normally at the sight of a rabbit I had started too noticed.

"Tris' you're back," Bors called as I walked through the entrance of Lord Marcus's villa and into his courtyard, "Ya' find anything out there today?"

"No," I answered simply, never stopping to talk further with him, Dagonet or Beth as the stood round one of the fires trying to keep warm.

"Where ya' going now?" I heard Bors call after me.

"To find Arthur," I answered over my shoulder. Finding Arthur was easy seeing as since we had arrived, Arthur had only ever been in two places. The first was the main meeting room of the house; the room in which Arthur had spent a lot of time arguing with Lord Marcus over where his family could be and if Marcus had any idea who might have taken them and why, but on checking that room I found it to be empty. Turning, I headed towards the rooms that Lord Marcus had arranged for Arthur to stay at during his time here and upon reaching the door I knocked loudly.

"Enter," I heard Arthur's tired voice calling.

"There's nothing out there," I spoke as I entered the room.

"How is that possible?" Arthur questioned as he leant back against the chair he was sitting in shutting his eyes, maps covering the desk in front of him.

"It isn't," I answered unnecessarily.

"Yes, I can see that, but be that as it may, if there are no trails out there, that means Lord Marcus's family weren't taken out of this villa." Arthur paused, looking deep in thought as he did, but before he could start to talk once more the sound of knocking filled the room. "Enter."

"I need a drink," _Lancelot, _"Those guards know nothing; every one of them has the same story." Pausing Lancelot looked around the room, only then noticing my presents in it. "Oh Tristan, I didn't realise you had returned yet." Cocking my head at him I didn't answer simply waited for him to continue. "Anyway, like I was saying, all of them have the same story, no noise, nothing suspicious. It's just like the family just disappeared into thin air."

"Lancelot, that is impossible," Arthur spoke before turning to me, "Do you remember what that Woad women told you after Alex was taken?" At the mention of Alex's name I tensed, my jaw clenching tight. _How could I forget? _I thought bitterly, that entire day had forever been ingrained permanently into my mind. I had to forced myself to stay focused on what Arthur was saying, nodding shortly when his question focused in my head. "What was it?"

"_We are innocent of one crime but not this one," _I quoted quickly.

"What if what she said was true," Arthur said hesitantly, "What if Lord Marcus's family weren't taken by the Woads but hidden by him?"

"But why would he do that," Lancelot said, leaning forward on his knees as he sat at a chair by Arthur's desk.

"The why is not necessary needed," I said causing Lancelot's gaze to snap up and look at me. "More the question is where did he hide them, the why can be found out later."

"True," Arthur spoke with a nod, "Where are the rest of them, the women as well?"

"Bors, Dag and Beth are in the court yard," I answered.

"Gawain, Galahad, Sarah and Tania where in the tavern when I last saw them. Taking to some guards I think." Lancelot answered after me.

"And Carrie," At the mention of Carrie it was Lancelot's turn to tension, his face going blank.

"Where do you think," He snapped coldly, "The same place she's been since we've got here," _The battlements, _my mind answered for me.

"Lancelot..." Arthur started before he was cut off.

"Don't. Just don't..." Lancelot said softly, "I'll fetch the others and be back." He Left in silence, Arthur and I watching him with concern.

"If they haven't left this place, where do you think they'll be?" Arthur asked after a while.

"What places have we not been allowed to enter?" I thought out loud.

"The dungeons, Marcus's own private quarters and we haven't been near the servant's quarters either." I nodded my head in agreement, letting silence once again fall over us; it wasn't long until Lancelot was striding back into the room, the others following behind him.

"She won't be joining us," Lancelot said with a pained expression as he caught Arthur's questioning look.

"What's going on?" Sarah spoke, "Have you found something?"

"No," At seeing Sarah's confused look Arthur continued quickly, "And that is the point of this gathering. We have found nothing and yet the family is obviously not present but we might have found the reason. '_We are innocent of one crime but not this one.' _Those were the words of the Woad woman who died after Alex's capture and what if _this_ is what she was referring to."

"So you," Galahad stated," You believe that the family haven't been captured at all?"

"Yes," Arthur answered with a tight nod.

"But why would Marcus lie?" Galahad questioned, "What can he gain from this?"

"What every Roman seems to have greed of," Lancelot said darkly from the corner of the Rome causing Arthur to raise his eyebrow in query, "Except you Arthur," Lancelot continued with a hollow chuckle, "Money." Obviously Lancelot had thought about the 'why' in Marcus's plan on his journey to get the others.

"If that is true," Gawain spoke slowly, "Who is the leader of this plan for Marcus's is not wise enough, or powerful enough to do this on his own."

"Aye," Bors agreed, "He'd have to be working with someone with enough power, someone who could get us to come out here and look for his 'lost' family."

"The Bishop," I said, breaking the silence that Bors words had created.

"No," Arthur stuttered out brokenly, "He would not do that."

"Arthur, be reasonable," Lancelot growled, "The Bishop wants us dead, why not send us on a fool's errand straight into Woad territory to do so, a place where we would most likely die."

"But..." Arthur began but was once again cut off by not Lancelot this time, but Carrie.

"Lancelot said it himself before we left, that this mission was a suicide mission." She spoke evenly as she climbed through the window.

"So it's not just Alex who does that?" Bors questioned with a chuckle as he watched Carrie.

"Rome doesn't care about our lives," She spoke, ignoring Bors, "We are pawns to her. Did you really think that we would be allowed to go free after our time serving Roman is done Arthur? We are no more than cattle to Rome, we do our job and once it is done we are sent to be killed." As Carrie finished speaking, I could see how the colour had drained completely from Arthur's face.

"I would not wish that for you," He spoke in a whisper.

"I know that, but you are not like them Arthur, the way you treat your knights is proof of that." Carrie spoke as if she was soothing a troubled child rather than to a Roman commander. "Yet that doesn't affect what is happening around you by those who are governed by greed and power."

"If what you all say is true, what do we do now?" Arthur finally spoke as he lifted his head to look searchingly at all of us.

"We search here," I spoke, "We search the villa, yet allow them to believe that we are still searching away from it for the family."

"Aye," Bors said curtly, "The woman can distracted the guards with their _womanly charms_ while we search the villa." He said with a chuckle.

"As much as I don't like the fact that we have to distract those _men_," Tania said with a shiver of disgust, a shiver that seemed to have Galahad drawing her close to his side, "It will work."

"If you are all in agreement," Arthur paused to look around him at the woman, waiting till they nodded their agreement, "We start in the morning. It is too late to start a proper search now, sleep and rest well, tomorrow you will play your parts and I will distract Lord Marcus." As we all silently left, I turned to Arthur cocking my head at him and gaining a nod of understanding in return, _as much as we all needed to rest, so did he._


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19 – Alex's POV

"The horse you asked for is ready and waiting," At the sound of a soft, very feminine voice my head shot up, "Oh, I'm sorry I didn't mean to disturb you." The Woad woman stammered as she flashed me an apologetic smile.

"You didn't," I answered gently, "I was just deep in thought."

"Merlin wishes to speak with you before you leave," The Woad woman said to me before she bowed her head and ducked down, the door of the tent falling closed behind her. Ever since I had woken up, the second time, it had been explained to me by Merlin and his council how they had seen that I was going to save Arthur, his knights and my sisters, from what I was to save them from still had to explained. Standing, I stretched before I pulled on my heavy cloak, checking that my sword and daggers were secured as I lifted the tent flap and walked out into the daylight that flooded the forest.

"Merlin," I called as I saw his shadow glide across the gap in the trees in front of me. The snow crunched under me feet as I advanced on the stone monument, "Merlin?" I called again, yet still got no answer.

"Child," The sudden voice had me spinning on the spot, sword draw ready to fight.

"Don't do that," I hissed through clenched teeth at Merlin, who was now standing looking innocent in front of me, "You wanted to talk to me before I left, now talk." I snapped at him as I put my sword away.

"Yes," He paused before he answered, cocking his head before continuing, "My scouts went to the village that the knights went to."

"And..." I urged when he once again paused.

"They're looking for something, the people that are lost." I waited in silence this time for I already knew that they were looking for Lord Marcus's family. I had learnt during my stay with Merlin, that silence usually meant something worth wild would come from him. "They have stopped looking outside though, now they look for what greed and corruption have brought, soon they will be trapped just as the lost are."

"Marcus?" I asked.

"Yes," he spoke with a nod, wetting his lips with his blue tongue as he did. "They say this man loves fine things, things of beauty, and lusts after anything that will bring him gold and pleasure. Use this and you will get your loved ones back." Merlin's cryptic answers and riddles were something I wasn't going to miss, they did nothing but give me headaches.

"Thank you," I said with genuine thanks, he could have killed me and watched as Arthur, his knights and my sisters died yet he chose to let us live, for what purpose I had no idea but I wasn't going to let this chance to save my brothers and sisters in arms. _Tristan, _my mind whispered to me, a sharp pain erupting in my chest as it did so, _how could I let anything happen to him when it was within my power to prevent it, _I asked back at myself.

"Go then little one; we will meet again of that I am certain." In the blink of an eye he was gone, disappearing into the forest around him, like he truly was the ghost some people thought he was.

Pulling myself up onto the horse that had been left for me; I pulled my cloak tighter around myself. The snow was still falling from the sky as I began my ride back to Hadrian's Wall, and I pulled my scarf higher, covering up more of my face. Breathing in I could still smell the woody sent that I had now come to associate with Tristan seeing as it was the scarf that he had wrapped round my throat before I had been take. As I rode the silence around me gave me time to think, to formulate a plan to get them out. If I had managed to translate Merlin's cryptic messages right, which I prayed to the gods I had, it meant that my comrades were soon to fall into a trap, what that trap truly was, was a mystery to me, and that according to Merlin I was the only hope left that could save them. '_They say this man loves fine things, things of beauty, and lusts after anything that will bring him gold and pleasure.' _As I thought on Merlin's parting _advice _I couldn't help but feel out of my depth, I was no hero, I was a soldier, born for the sole purpose of killing, _Elhanan. _My mind suddenly screamed at me, _yes_, I thought, if I found Elhanan I could get her to help me get into Marcus's villa, her husband, pigheaded ass that he was, was bound to be higher up that this _Lord Marcus _was. With my plan starting to take shape in my mind, the ride to Hadrian's Wall seemed to pass quicker, but the chill that had settled deep within me seemed to disagree with me. My first stop as I enter Hadrian's Wall was the bath house, although it severed two purposes.

"Have ya' heard 'bot Arthur and those knights of 'is? Supposedly they're all stuck in some village up north, can't get here, or so says the messenger." Opposite from where I sat in the hot bath, slowly trying to regain the feeling of my frozen body was a pair of woman, whose voices carried effortlessly to where I sat. The best way I had discovered to find out information and quickly, was to listen to the servants from the Roman barracks, and households.

"Oh really, know why would they wana' stay up there, it's awfully cold up there?" The second, younger looking woman asked.

"Don't know, but if ya' ask me, I think little olde Lord Marcus got someone ta' pull some strings for him. Heard he was under attack a lot for those Woads I did." By this point I had heard enough, the rest of the woman's conversation would be pure guess work and I had better things to do than sit and listen to them. I dried and dressed quickly before leaving the bath house, my binding folded and in my hands as I made my way through the streets and to where the Roman villa's were all located.

"Can I help you?" A man no older than me asked as I walked into the entrance of Elhanan's villa.

"I wish to see Elhanan." I answered shortly.

"I'm afraid my Lady doesn't keep company with your style of people," He said hotly as his eyes scrutinised over me from head to toe.

"Tell her I'm here or I'll gut you where you stand and find her myself," I growled through clenched teeth. My threat seemed to have the desired effect, as he soon backed away quickly turning and all but running into the house.

"Alex?" The gasped sound of my name had my head turning to locate the source, _Elhanan._

"I need help," I spoke quickly; hoping she would understand my distress.

"Is this about what I heard about Arthur staying at Lord Marcus's?" I nodded sharply and a look of understanding covered Elhanan's face, "What do you need?" I explained hurriedly, barely taking a breath except for when I became desperate about all that had happened since we had left, describing in detail all that my stay with Merlin had brought about and how I knew that she would be the one able to help me, but before Elhanan could say anything in return, she pushed into a room just off from the hallway, her hand clasped tightly over my mouth.

"The knights have found Lord Marcus's family," A husky voice sounded.

"And yet they still stay there? Why?" An arrogant voice answered.

"I do not know my Lord," _Ah, _I thought, _Elhanan's husband._

"Well you should find that out, I need to know." It was then that Elhanan ripped herself from my side, striding out of through the doorway, leaving me alone and confused.

"If you need to know why so much my Lord, why don't you go and ask yourself," Elhanan paused but quickly continued, "Even better I'll come too, and I have an excellent gift for Lord Marcus." I could hear the smile Elhanan's voice had without being able to see it present on her face, "I hear he's looking for a new mistress, and I know exactly who to give him." _Shit!_


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20 – Tristan's POV

I winced as I rolled onto my back, the rough material of my tunic catching on the fresh whip marks present there as I moved. In the last four days so much had changed, _everything had gone to hell_, my mind growled darkly at me. Our food poisoned, Carrie, Tania, Sarah and Beth taken and tied up somewhere far from us, Lord Marcus's family had been _'found' _and rumours had been spread of Arthur's decision to stay in Marcus's village for the winter. _Alex, _my mind whimpered, I didn't know whether to be happy that she was not here or terrified of what Merlin was doing to her, I was torn with worry for her either way.

"How is your back?" Dagonet's voice sounded as he was placed back into our prison cell, obviously catching my failed attempt to hide my wince of pain.

"What do you think it's like?" I asked back starkly at him, "Painful!"

"Tris' play nice," Bors cut in, coming to Dagonet's side, "It's your own bloody fault."

"How was your walk around the village? Enjoy your walk?" Lancelot asked breaking the beginning of another fight, having us all trapped in a small cell was not a good thing; we all longed to be in the open. Lancelot's voice thick with dark humour I noticed as I focused on him rather than Bors.

"The most I've felt like a dog in years," Bors answer was gruff, his answer plain in honestly.

"I heard something," I never bothered to raise my head at Galahad's comment; instead I favoured closing my eyes in hopes I could remove myself from our prison. "Lord Marcus is expecting guests, they should be arriving late this afternoon and supposedly we're all expected to be present to greet them."

"Who?" Arthur asked, from the sound of his voice I could place him at the far corner of the cell.

"A Lord and Lady Aquila I think," Galahad answered simply.

"Sorry what," Arthur choked out losing his controlled facade, now that had my attention.

"Lord and Lady Aquila?" Galahad repeated slowly as I forced myself up into a sitting position, mindful not to lean against the wall behind me.

"Why? You know them?" Lancelot questioned as he raised his head up from its leaning position against the wall.

"You all do, well you all know Lady Aquila," Arthur paused to look round at us seeing if we recognised what he was getting at, "Its Lady Elhanan, the girls old mistress." Silenced answered Arthurs words but before any of us could even try to express our thoughts two guards appeared at the door of our cell.

"You are all to be taken to the bath house; you are to be presentable for Lord Marcus's guests." The taller of the two spoke out.

"Regular as night is to follow day," I heard Lancelot softly grumble to himself and I couldn't help but snort my agreement. We were all but paraded to the bath house, stripped of our weapons so that we were nothing more than prisoners without chains.

"Why are they here?" Lancelot hissed to me as we sunk into the hot water of the bath.

"My guess is as good as yours," I answered back lowly, steadily watching the guards who stood at the edge of the bath, "But whatever their reason is, it has Marcus worried." Our bath soon ended with gruff shout from the soldiers guarding us, the clothes prepared for us to wear lying by the side of the bath.

"I'm so glad to see that my favourite Sarmatian's were able to join me to greet my guests," Marcus cooed as we enter the entrance hall of his villa, his soldiers still at our heals, none of us spoke, not even Arthur, even though he kept his head held high. "Tut, tut, tut, tut. Don't be so bland, you must pretend to be happy for my guests, for I'd hate to have to take out my anger on your women." Marcus's words had possessive growls erupting from my brother yet I never made a sound, I still felt nothing. Alex's was lost to me and the churning in my stomach only caused the chaos in my mind to worsen, _was she safe with Merlin? Had she escaped? Was she alive? _Questions circled my head and it took every ounce of my training to keep my composed expression.

"My Lord," A servant sounded, "Lord and Lady Aquila have just arrived." Bowing low the servant finished his message and left quickly, the doors shutting gently behind him.

"Heed this warning," Marcus spoke coolly, "Say one word off your predicament and your women will be dead before you can even image where they're being held." Lord Marcus sat in his heavily carved chair, his wife to his right and his children around him, looking like the smug, arrogant ass he was. None of us were brave enough to taunt him, not knowing how serious his warning was so we all kept quiet, the silence only breaking when the doors to the entrance hall opened.

"Lord Marcus," A deep voice answered, _Lord Aquila, _I thought as I refused to turn round from my position to look behind me. "It is so great to finally meet you, I have heard a lot about you from the Bishop."

"Lord Aquila, it is an honour that you and your lady wife have chosen to stay at my humble abode." _So Aquila is higher than him, _I mused upon Marcus's greeting, _he is all but grovelling_.

"True," Aquila spoke before pausing, "Elhanan, this is Lord Marcus. Marcus, this is Elhanan, my wife."

"I have heard so much about you," I noticed how Marcus's flattery caused a shiver to run up Elhanan's spine but by Marcus's continuous flattery I guessed he had not. "And may I say your beauty is far more splendid than the story's I have hard, you should be called the gem of Britain." _Slimy git! _

"You are to kind my Lord," Elhanan started slowly. "I have a present for you for you generosity, but maybe it is best we save it for another time when, less impressionable minds are around." As she spoke, Elhanan cocked her head in the direction of Marcus's family.

"Ah," Marcus sounded as he caught Elhanan's gesture, turning to his family he dismissed them before turning back to Elhanan, "I do hate waiting for presents," He spoke with a sick chuckle.

"Very well then," Elhanan said with a tight smile, her gaze landing on mine as the doors of the entrance hall opened once again, regret shining in her eyes.

"My wife heard you were in want of a new mistress," Aquila said loudly, "And she found, what she believes to be, the perfect woman for you." I watched Elhanan as Aquila talked to Marcus, her head was bowed low and she refused to meet my gaze. "This is Clodia, I hope she suits you well."

"No," Bors sharp gasp had my head snapping up from looking at Elhanan to look at him, only to find him looking at the woman now kneeling in front of Marcus in a sea of white and red material.

"What is it?" Dag asked Bors in a low whisper.

"It can't be," Bors continued to mutter, "I could have sworn that that was..."

"Alex," My blood ran cold as the woman in front of Marcus stood, her she was dress in a long white robe, a red sash going from over her right shoulder, around her waist and eventually falling to pool at her feet. _Why was she here? Why was Elhanan offering her to Marcus as his Mistress? His Mistress! No! He isn't allowed to touch her, to look at her, to see her! _The possessive part of my mind was howling in rage as what it saw as his was offered to another man, but all I could focus on was the searing pain that lanced its way through my chest as Alex smiled _sweetly _at Marcus.

"I hope she is to your liking?"Aquila asked, breaking my train of thought.

"Yes, she does indeed," Marcus said, his gaze trailing up and down Alex's body as if she was a piece of meat, pulling gently on the material of her dress causing her to step closer to him.

"I'm glad you like her," Elhanan spoke in a tight voice, "You will treat her well?" _What is Elhanan planning, to ask if a mistress is to be treated well shows care for a slave, there must be more going on here than meets the eye? _The calculating voice in my head concluded, the rest of me was numb, too numb to work let alone think. _She shouldn't be here; it's too dangerous for her to be!_

"Of course she will be safe Lady Aquila," Marcus said as he clapped his hands together, glee clear on his face, "I even have a band of Sarmatian knights to protect me, us, I mean." Marcus quickly corrected himself.

"Why do you need them to protect you, aren't you safe within these walls my Lord?" Alex finally spoke, her words polite and civil, not giving anything away in the way she acted.

"Ah! My naive little pet, every man feels safer when he has a guard dog ready to protect him." Marcus gently answered Alex, his hand lifting her chin so she was fully looking at him. My muscles bunched tightly as they fought against my instincts to run to Alex and snatch her away from Marcus's reach.

"Why would they kill for you? They are knights not guards dogs my Lord." _So there is a plan, _I thought to myself as I watched Alex question Marcus in an innocent voice.

"But when you hold in your hands the life of whom they love, they would jump through any hoop you tell them to." Alex's brow lifted in question at Marcus, but he seemed to take it as honest confusion rather than the need to find out what was truly happening. "Alas not all of them do," Marcus continues after a while, Alex cocking her head to pretend that she was listening, her gaze caught mine as she did so and I could see the relief and pain there in her eyes, my chest tightening at the sight. "The one over there, in the Roman armour, he will do as he's told because he cannot have the death of those he has come to care about lose what is most precious to them on his conscience" Alex's gaze moved away from mine and to Arthurs as Marcus's spoke, the tight nod she gave Arthur could have been cast off as an involuntary movement if someone hadn't know what was happening, _She was reassuring Arthur. _

"What about the other one?" Alex asked as Marcus paused in his speech, prompting him to speak again, "The one who sits apart from the others, the one who has braids in his hair?"

"I do not know about him, they say he had always been the lonely scout. Some even say that even if you were to put him in a crowded room he would still be alone." The flinch that ran across Alex's face couldn't be hidden; her well used masked cracking as Marcus berated me. "I think he mourns for a lover that had been taken from him."

"You show care for someone you seem to deem as nothing but a guard dog." Alex all but spat at him, quickly softening her tone towards the end. "Maybe he is just misunderstood by many."

"And maybe he is a dog just like the rest of the Samaritan _soldiers _here." Marcus's snide comment had Alex stiffening, her face blank of all emotion, "Come, come, we shall feast! You have all had a long and tiresome journey, eat and drink we will all need are energy." Marcus and Aquila laughed at the obvious double meaning to his words but as I watched the retreating figures of Elhanan and Alex, I saw how Alex clasped tightly to the hand Elhanan had placed in her own, _drawing strength, _I guessed.

"You'll have time to kill him later Tris'," Lancelot hissed in my ear, "But for the moment we can do no more, come, stand we are being taken back to the cell, brood there." I stood but without difficulties, holding tight to Lancelot's arm as I rose. Marcus would be dead by the morrow that I could promise.


	21. Chapter 21

**Hey :) I just want to say a quick thanks to everyone who's added this as one of their favourite story's and put it on story alert, it's good to know that you're still enjoying my story ^^ so here's the next chapter and I hope you enjoy ...**

Chapter 21 – Tristan's POV

As I stood in the middle of the arena, methodically going through drills with my sword, drills that had been drummed into me as a child by Rome, my eyes kept drifting back to Alex, the same Alex who was currently standing smiling up at Marcus like some love sick fool. I felt sick to my stomach as I watched her act like a flirtatious little girl towards him. S_he was mine, not his! She should be at my side, nowhere near his! Nowhere near his reach!_

"Stop staring," Lancelot hissed lowly as he stepped in front of me. "You are being rather obvious brother."

"Like I give a shit," I barked back at him, releasing some of my pent up anger on him.

"You really should," He started with a shrug, "Because if they catch you, they might end up punishing her for it, and we don't want that now, would we?" Lancelot spoke in an offhand manner but even in my rage, I could see his point. He didn't want to see Alex hurt anymore than I did, but his reasons for Alex's safety were far from similar to my own.

"Just because you see her as your only means of escape from this place," I snapped at him, advancing upon him my sword drawn.

"It's one of many reasons and you know it," Lancelot said frankly as he drew his twin blades. "You just want someone to attach, and you're biting at this opportunity to take your anger issues out on me! You do know that I can see straight through the cool facade you have in place Tristan. The colour green never did suit you well." Something in me snapped. Lancelot had never been one to read people well, me especially. I dived at him, anger and pain fuelling every one of my blows. Lancelot gave back as good as he got, relishing in the chance to fight properly, a privilege we had been deprived of for far too long.

"Enough!" _Marcus. _"Seeing as the two off you seem to be in the fighting mood, I'm giving you the pleasure of escorting Lady Clodia around the village." Now that had my attention, my fight with Lancelot all but forgotten as I turned to regard Marcus. "Be ready and waiting outside my villa in an hour." After his short order, Marcus spun on his heels, grabbing Alex by the elbow as he began leading her away from the stands of the arena, waddling as quickly as his Roman physique allowed him.

"Talk about putting on a show boy," Bors deep voice spoke with a chuckle. "Was there a reason for your sudden need to _entertain _that lot?"

"Yes," Arthur agreed, nodding his head softly, "Do the pair of you have something to tell us?"

"Nope," Lancelot said, flashing a boyish grin at them.

"Tristan," Arthur asked with a raised eyebrow a knowing look settling across his features.

"Nothing," I answered simply as I let my fringe fall in front of my eyes.

"You know lying never did suit you," Arthur said calmly, "You were always best suited for blunt truths. That way more people seemed to survive."

"Everyone's allowed a secret Arthur," I growled lowly, "Maybe you should remember that." At My words Arthur's emotionless mask fell into place, I had to snort at his predictability.

"Quite, but you still have to deal with the consequences of your outburst." Silence followed Arthur's cryptic words, forcing him to explain. "You put yourself in the path of pain. You have to _escort _Lady Clodia around a Roman infested village when I know all you want to do is grab her and run." I once again felt rage sweeping through my body, Arthur had struck to low for what he was supposed to represent.

"You know all about not being able to reach what you want, to save what you want, don't you my Lord." I said with a dark look in his direction as I sheathed my sword. I watched as blank expression settled over his face and I continued. "Dying in flames is a painful way to die I imagine."

"Tristan!" I turned at the shocked gasp of my name, leaving all my brothers standing in the centre of the arena and making my way to where the guards stood.

"Take me to my cell; I don't want to wait here until I have to meet Marcus." I growled at one of them, not caring who lead me from this place.

"Me too," Looking over my shoulder I saw Lancelot walking towards me. We were silent until we reached the cell, only when we were alone did Lancelot speak. "Arthur might have been wrong to bring Alex into things but you were way out of place to bring up his mother Tris'."

"He's knows the pain of not being able to save a person he loves, yet he takes it upon himself to rub that feeling in my face!" I yelled at Lancelot, losing the last hold on my self-restraint.

"He watched his mother die!" Lancelot cried.

"You think I don't realise that? Fuck you Lancelot! He has lost his mother; he doesn't have to sit in a cell wondering what Marcus is doing to person he cares about! I do!" I screamed at him, my breath coming out in short pants.

"You keep acting like this, and you're going to destroy yourself before you even get the chance to try and save Alex, let alone find out the reason she's here." I snorted at his words, but before I had the chance to speak again a guard appeared outside our cell door.

"It's time to go," He was young I noticed, he also never met mine or Lancelot's gaze as we left our cell.

"Are you going to calm down, or are you just going to continue to smoulder?" At Lancelot's question, I growled in response, deciding to ignore him and focus on leaning against the wall of the villa.

"Ah," I heard Marcus shout as he spotted us, "Good, you're here. I would have hated if you made Lady Clodia wait."

"Knights," Alex said shyly, I refused to look at her as she spoke. The pain that flared in my chest at only the sound of her voice had me gritting my teeth as I tried to regain control over myself.

"My Lady," Lancelot said his flirtatious facade fully in place.

"Let's go," I growled, turning away from the three of them.

"Knight," Marcus said lowly, "Remember your place, and remember what's at stake."

"I'm sorry my Lord," I countered sarcastically, "How could I ever forget my place? The place of a dog at his master's feet!" The look in I saw flash through Marcus's eyes was murderous and I knew with certainty I had a whipping awaiting me on my return.

"Please my Lord," Alex said softly, effectively distracting Marcus from whatever he was planning to do with me, yet I still avoided looking directly at her. "I am sure your knight is just worried about if he will be good enough to protect me. I am sure he is just worried what the outcome would be it he was to fail in his duties." I watched in disgust as Alex wrapped her arm around Marcus's, bile rising in my throat as I heard Alex whisper in his ear, a smirk formed across Marcus's features as she spoke.

"Don't make a wrong move Sarmatian" Marcus barked at me, "This little jewel is very precious to me." Marcus leered at Alex openly before he dropped her arm and walked away from us.

"What did you say to him?" I spat as Alex stepped forward, finally looking her in the eye. Her eyes narrowed at me before she answered.

"Why must you know everything _knight_? From what just happened, I saved you from a great deal of pain, can't we just walk in _silence _for a while." The emphasis on the word 'silence' wasn't missed so with a tight nod to Lancelot I turned and began to walk away from the pair of them.

"What's wrong with him?" I heard Alex asked quietly to Lancelot, the concern in her voice causing my chest to tighten.

"You princess," Lancelot answered with a chuckle, their whispering continued and I tuned most of it out until I heard Alex call my name.

"Take the next left knight, there's something I want to look at." I followed Alex's order, turning down a narrow alley way that lead to a dead end. "The door on your right, go in through it." I turned my head to look over my shoulder to see that Alex stood a few steps behind me.

"Don't mess with me Alex," I growled, taking her elbow and leading her so that she stood in front of me, her body flush against my own. "This is your plan, you go in first. In front of me," I spoke huskily into her ear, her body shuddering slightly as I did so.

"And after all this, I thought you would have some faith in me," Alex said calmly as she walked through the door and into a plainly furnished room. As the door closed behind me I noticed that it was only Alex and I that had entered, "I asked him to stay outside," Alex answered my questioning scowl, shrugging her shoulders as I continued to stare at her.

"What's this all about?" I finally asked with a sigh as I watched Alex walk over to stand in front of the fire.

"I needed, wanted, to talk to you without a Roman overhearing us." She answered me without looking away from the flames, her head bowed low.

"Why'd you come here?" I snapped angrily, my suddenness causing Alex's head to shoot up.

"I couldn't stay away knowing that there was a chance that I could help Tristan," She said in a pained voice.

"Well maybe I'd believe that more if you weren't flirting with Marcus and being offered to him as his mistress." Hurt flashed in Alex's eyes before her mask fell solidly into place.

"You dog! You heartless bastard," Alex cried as she stepped towards me, "You think I enjoy fawning over Marcus? You think I enjoy the way he leers at me, touches me? You are a fool if you believe that, an arrogant fool."

"And what is it you expect me to believe?" I asked, shocked by my own words and grimacing as Alex's hands came up quickly, slapping me hard on the chest forcing me to grab her wrists to stop her from doing it again.

"Do you believe me to be that shallow? That I would reduce myself to the level of a common whore just to save my own skin? No wonder they call you heartless." She said with a snort.

"Do you really want to go there Alex?" I snapped, spinning us and pushing her up against the wall that was behind me still keeping me tight hold on her wrists.

"Elhanan told me where to find you, I came to help." Alex whimpered as I pushed closer to her, something in her answer left me unconvinced.

"Try again," I growled lowly, "You seem to know more about this than Elhanan, who are you working with." It pained me, the mere thought that Alex could have turned on us, _on me_, but I had to ask.

"No," She groaned shaking her head. "It's not like that Tristan, I swear to you it isn't." Alex's grey eyes held such chaos within them that I felt like a fool for hurting her, but every instinct within me screamed at me that she was hiding something.

"I know your hiding something." I said simply.

"I don't care..." Alex moaned, trying to shove past me and away from the wall, but I held firm. "Believe what you want ..." What I wanted to believe was that everything was fine, that Alex was here, that Alex wasn't hiding something from me and that by the end of the day we would all be away from this god awful pace, but I knew that I couldn't.

"You don't know me!" I growled, "You don't get to tell me what to believe."

"And I think your just jealous," Alex spat, her eyes narrowing at me, firing burning in them now.

"What? I'm not jealous!" My voice suddenly losing some of its strength.

"Liar," She growled at me, "You think I can't see right through you? I was taught the same things you were in order to read people! I can read you just as well as you can read everyone else, and if you were any greener you'd glow!"

"Why did you come here?" I asked in a pained voice, "Why did you have to try a play the hero? You drive me crazy Alex, why can't you think of your own safety for once?"

"I didn't do this out of malice Tristan," She said gently, sliding her hands out of my now slackened hold and placing her hands against me chest, but I still didn't budge from in front of her. "I can't help it if the way he looks at me is the way I'm trying to get him to. There's a plan in place Tristan, I need to do what I have to do in order to save all of them, to save _you_."

"And that means you have to act as his mistress?" I sighed in defeat.

"Act? I will do whatever he wants me to do in order to get them back..."

"Shut up," I baked, closing me eyes and shaking my head, trying in vain to get the image of her and Marcus out of my head. "You don't understand how I feel when I see him touch you, speak to you, fuck, even breath near you."

"Then make me Tristan or do I have to go through this alone..." She challenged me and I broke. Alex was standing there, pinned to the wall by my body, standing there flushed and panting due to our fight and I couldn't hold myself back any longer. My mouth dove for hers, it was angry and possessive. The thoughts and feelings of how I'd believed I had lost her forever came flooding back to me, but the taste of her on my tongue had my pulling her closer. The hands she had placed on my chest slipped up to my neck to grip my hair hard, and I couldn't help the moan the escaped from deep within my body. My hands were completely out of my control now, one shot to Alex's waist, gripping her tight as I pulled her lower half flush with mine, the other tangled itself in her short hair, twisting it so she tilted her head to the side so I could deepen our kiss. A whimper escaped Alex's swollen lips as I made my way down her throat, altering between open mouthed kisses and nipping the gentle skin. I found myself drowning in her, leaning further into her, pressing her into the wall behind her, completely ignorant of the fact that Lancelot was outside the door mere inches from us. I massaged her tongue with my own, knowing that this would be the last time for a while that I would be able to kiss Alex the way I truly wanted. She frustrated me beyond belief but she was so beautiful and so wild, the urge to try and tame her was unstoppable but I wanted her, the real her more than I wanted anything else. She fit perfectly pressed against me; the feel of her alone nearly made me lose my mind. The sound of a deep cough had us both jumping. I took two quick steps away from her, my eyes wide under my fringe as I saw Lancelot standing at the door, a smirk firmly in place.

"Feel any better," Alex asked coyly as she bit down on her swollen lip.

"Shut up!" I snapped back at her but there was no anger in my words, and a genuine smile tugged at my lips.

"Well seeing as you two seemed to have sorted things out," Lancelot said with a chuckle, "You want to tell me about that plan you were talking about earlier."

"Um..." The hesitance in Alex's voice was something I had never heard from her before.

"Alex," The growl was back in my voice now, the dread in my stomach rising with it.

"I can't tell you," Alex said quietly, her eyes never meeting mine.

"If you tell us Alex, we can help," Lancelot said just as quietly.

"That's the point, you can't help!" The sudden shout from Alex had Lancelot jumping in shock and my eyes narrowing. Seeing the dark look on my face, Alex hurried to continue, "See if I tell you what I've got planned then Marcus will know something's happening because all of you will be acting differently."

"He barely visits our prison cell Alex, I don't think he'd know what our behaviour is like." I growled, cutting Alex off without care.

"Are you always in your prison cell? No, you aren't! You stay out in the open as long has Marcus has a show to put on for Aquila. If you know nothing, then you don't add to the risk I'm putting myself in and you don't add to the risk of my sisters getting hurt!" Alex was breathing deeply as she finished her rant, yet her words rang true.

"I don't' like this, I don't like you putting yourself in danger when there's no-one around to help you." I said softly, stepping forward to cup Alex's cheek in my hand so that I could make her look up at me instead of everything else in the room.

"Who said _was_ alone," Alex said with a gentle smile. "I promise you Tristan, I will be safe, and I will have the girls safely away by tomorrow."

"How can you promise that?" I asked in slight confusion.

"You still have a lot to learn about me love, have faith in me." At the sound of Alex's pet name my heart swelled.

"We need to get back," I said with a quick look in Lancelot's direction as I leant down to kiss Alex gently on the forehead, a gentle sigh leaving her as I did so.

"We have faith in you Alex," I whispered low enough that only she would hear me, "But we are just as afraid of the unknown as every other soul is."

**So, let me know what you thought and review please :D xo**

**P.s I hope to get the next chapter up soon ^_^**


	22. Chapter 22

**So, yes I lied to you when I said that I hoped to get this chapter up quickly and I'm sorry but thank you for everyone who has stayed with me and I hope you enjoy this chapter ^^ The next chapter will be Tristan's POV so you'll have that to look forward to :) I own nothing you realise from the film :( xo**

Chapter 22 – Alex's POV

"My Clodia! Sweet Clodia! Precious Clodia! I swear if I have to listen to Marcus call me by that name one more time I might just give up," I spat out in anger to Elhanan knowing full well I could never _give up._ As I spoke I made sure to keep my voice low so no one around us can hear, the last thing I needed was for a room full of Marcus's loyal guest hearing my plan.

"You are the only one who can pull this off and rescue all of them," Elhanan said with a gentle sigh. "Half the battle will be over by the end of tonight you need to stay strong Alex, if for only a little while longer."

"You are always looking for the silver lining in things, but no offence look where that landed you." I snapped, quickly looking around me to make sure no one noticed my outburst, fighting back the bust of guilt I felt because of my words.

"Be as cruel and as ill-tempered with me as you like, but hear this, if you don't do this the pain and suffering of all those people rests on your head." Elhanan quipped back at me smartly, refusing to look up at me from her goblet, smugness coming of her in waves.

"I hate you sometimes," I sighed in defeat.

"No you don't, you hate the position you're in," Shrugging Elhanan continued, "Not many people enjoy being between a rock and a hard place."

"How long till the sunsets do you think?" I ask ignoring Elhanan's polite sympathy, choosing rather to look around the room, following Marcus as he started to cross the room slowly.

"An hour or so, why would you ask me something like that?" She asked, suddenly looking up at me with curiosity.

"Is is wrong to have a second opinion?" I answer her, knowing avoiding the point of her question would rile her.

"You never ask for a second opinion, it's your opinion or none at all. Stubbornness I believe it's called, so I'll ask again, why would you ask me something like that?" I didn't miss the fact that her eyes glanced to the side, finally noticing Marcus's slow movements toward us.

"You are the _real_ lady out of the two of us, so in accordance to the rules of _polite society_ when would it be appropriate to retire for the night?" I said as I turned to look out the window.

"Follow my lead," Was all I manage to hear from Elhanan before Marcus interrupted us.

"Ladies," he called in drunken joy, "Lady Aquila and my darning Clodia." Bile rose in my throat as he sidled up next to me, placing an open mouthed kiss on my throat.

"Marcus," I answered in my best sickly sweet voice.

"What's wrong my dear, why so cold?" He asked as he brushed his chubby fingers across my cheek and down until they crossed the swell of my breast, wrongly reading the meaning behind the shiver that went through my body because of his action.

"Oh, my Lord she is just tired, she has had a long day." Elhanan answered for me, safely taking Marcus's attention from me if only briefly.

"Ah, yes. I hope those dogs didn't disgust you too much and if you are so tired my love, then you must retire my sweet," Marcus said matter of fact as he returned his attention to me.

"What a brilliant idea my Lord," Elhanan once again interrupted, and I thanked her with my eyes for I didn't believe it would be possible for me to talk. "We shall both retire now, good night my Lord," Elhanan said, a fake smile plastered across her face as she spoke.

"Good night my Lord," I forced myself to say, the smile I flashed Marcus was brief and I prayed he believed it to be brief because of my fake shyness rather than my disgust from him.

"Night ladies," Marcus's voice called across the room, causing others present to call out the own farewells. I barely made it to Elhanan's chambers before the entire content of my stomach escaped me, lucky into an earn that stood close to me and not across the floor.

"Alex," I heard Elhanan call as she rushed to my side, the feeling the calming stroke of her hand on my back almost instant. "Why must you put yourself through this? Wasn't there some other way?"

"No," I croaked out as I sat up from the kneeling position I had fallen into, "But like you said, it'll be over soon."

"When this is over, make sure they understand the sacrifices you went through," Elhanan said gently.

"No..." I groaned.

"That seems to be your favourite word," She cut short my answer with a chuckle, "Tell them what you will but make sure that when this is over, promise me, Marcus will get his punishment."

"I can't do that Elhanan! I am a servant to Rome, not one of its judges." I replied shaking my head at her wish, as much as I wanted Marcus's head I couldn't act out of hatred and revenge.

"What do we do now then," Elhanan asked as she helped me to my feet.

"You need to rest, I'll be leaving soon." I answered honestly.

"You need rest as well Alex, when was the last time you slept?" Not even giving me time to defend myself she continued, "Days ago, yet you still insist on running round the place, doing this and that. Yes, I know you want to save them but is all this running yourself into the ground really necessary?"

"When you've finished acting like my mother will you please shut up?" The offended look that spread across Elhanan's face had me quickly continuing, "If it will easy your conscience I'll change, eat and sit in the chair until the time for me to leave comes, alright?" I spoke as I was already moving towards a chair that sat under the only window in the room.

"Fine," Elhanan snapped, crossing her arms in a defensive.

"Fine," I repeated as I went around my business. As I sat down tiredly into the hard wooden chair I noticed that Elhanan had already curled herself up tight in the sheets of her bed. Jealously flood me, the luxury of an actual bed had evaded me for so long but even I wasn't desperate enough to run to Marcus to grant that wish.

"When will you go?" Elhanan whispered.

"As soon as the sun dips under the horizon," I say without looking away from the window.

"When you find them, tell them ... Tell them I'm sorry." She sighed tiredly.

"For what, none of this was by your design," I say as I glance across to her.

"If I didn't marry Lord Aquila..." I cut her off before she could say more.

"Stop with the self pity Elhanan, it was never your choice to marry Aquila, if it were up to you, you would have married the blacksmith back home." The blush that suddenly crept across Elhanan's face caused me to chuckle lightly but I continued, "You owe us nothing Elhanan. We are the ones who own you our thanks and gratitude. You were good to us when you didn't have to." Silence settle over us as my words sank in, breaking it though I spoke again, "Rest Elhanan, by the time you wake this all will be nearly over, sleep."

"I have faith in you," As the words left her I knew it would only be minutes before Elhanan was asleep. The gentle snores that sounded from the bed only moments later proved my theory; chuckling at the situation I resigned myself to the wait ahead of me. The comfort some people found in the excess of time was something I had rarely been able to sample so as silence settled over me once again, my mind began to wonder as my eyes closed.

"_You have my word that your friends will be treated with care when you free them from their prison." Merlin said in a kind voice, a voice that did little to reassure me. We sat by a blazing fire in the middle of a clearing, the distant sounds of his clan whispers on the wind._

"_Why would you do this for me?" I asked hesitantly, as I shuffled closer to the heat of the fire. _

"_Not for you, for everyone, for the greater good of this land." As cryptic as ever was his answer._

"_You make no sense old man," I sighed, "You look for answers in dreams, the stars, the earth, yet you never have solid truths."_

"_Faith," At his answer I finally raised my gaze away from, the fire to look at him, the glow the flames produced giving his blue face an eerie look. _

"_What?" I asked confused._

"_Have you ever had faith in something?" He returned, cocking his head at me, the blue drawings on his face moving as he did so, the light of the fire making them seem to move._

"_What faith I ever possessed was lost a long time ago," I said bluntly._

"_Your faith will return to my child, just like the answers in my dreams, the stars and the earth that surrounds us will find me." He said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Free your friend's child and then free Arthur, everything will fall into place after you have."_

"_Why did you capture me?" I rush out before I lost my nerve, "Why not someone stronger than I?"_

"_You will find as woman there who is one of my own, my blood, my flesh, give her this and she will aid you," As Merlin spoke he place a talisman in my palm. "She will guide your friends to us. They will meet you at Hadrian's Wall." With those words Merlin stood, walking further into the forest only to disappear into it, leaving me to stare longingly into the flames in front of me. _

The sound of a sharp cry startled me from my memories, _crazy old man, _I muse to myself as I stood from my chair. Leaning forward I shook the stiffness from my body, flexing as I secured my dark cloak tight around my shoulders. Checking that my blades and sword were strapped tight to me I pulled myself up and out off the window beside me. As I settled on my knees on the roof of Marcus's villa I froze, scanning around me to make sure I hadn't been seen and that the route in front of me looked clear. Standing to a crouch I began to make my way swiftly across the roof, the only way to get to the tower where I had discovered my sister's were being kept was to get out of Marcus's villa, problem was the gates closed at dusk. Dropping from the roof and into a deserted pathway I quickly made my way to the stables, I had found out earlier from a pair of very drunk guards that there was an escape route of sorts that lead from the stables in the villa to the edge of the village. The only problem with reaching the entrance of the hatch that allowed entry into the tunnels was that guards were posted around the door of the stables.

"I need to take a piss," The sound of a man's voice had me flattening myself against the wall of the building to my left, sinking as far into the shadows as possible.

"Like I wanted to know that," Another man snorted, "Go take your piss, I'll look the other way."

_Idiots, _my mind insulted but my body was already on the move, silently, yet as quickly as possible slipping inside the stables without being spotted. Finding the hatch was not a problem so grabbing one of the lanterns that lit the stables I lowered myself into the tunnel with a quiet thud. The second my feet hit the floor of the tunnel I was running, following every twist and turn the tunnel made until suddenly I was faced with a dead end, twisting around I quickly found what looked like a decaying ladder. Setting the lantern down I carefully made my way up the ladder but as I pushed at the hatch above me it refused to move so finally I shoved all my weight up causing the hatch to give with a loud groan. Leaving the lantern I had brought with me on the ground of the tunnel for my return journey I reclosed the hatch when I reached the top, covering my face with the hood of my cloak as I strode towards the edge of the village not once looking back at the hatch.

Marcus's villa was surrounded by four solid brick walls, a mini fortress in itself. At the far edge of the battlements stood as small stone hut, it sat close to the edge of the woods, bur far enough away that people coming from the woods towards it would be seen. Keeping to the shadows created by the huts of the villagers my journey towards the stone hut was an easy one, a journey that allowed me to scope out the area around the hut. When I was certain that there was no one around watching I sprinted the hundred yard gap from the last villagers hut to the door of the stone hut with ease. Breaking the lock that held the door closed was my only means of getting in as I did not possess the ability to simply kick it open. As the door opened with a whine the stench of death filled my nostrils, forcing me to hold back the bile it brought up. A light glow came from a single candle that hung from the centre of the ceiling by a chain; it was not the only thing that hung from the ceiling I noticed though. I had to bite down hard on my fist to stop the sound that nearly escaped from my mouth, metal twisted into machines I had only heard stories about hung alongside the candle looking innocent, the dried blood I could make out on them told a different story. A mumbled sound of a man's voice drifted up the spiralling stairs snapping my attention away from what dangled from the ceiling. Cautiously I made my decent, having to stop momentarily to let my eyes adjust to the brighter light that flooded the stairwell the closer I got to the sound of the voice.

"You will all be forgiven as long as you believe," The voice became clear as I reached the end of the stairs, drawing my sword and a deep breath I turned the corner and faced the voice.

"And what if your faith belongs in something else," I challenged.

"You aren't allowed to be here!" The man, I now noticed was a monk called, grasping tight to a bible that sat in his arms.

"Unlock the cage doors," I growl as I point my sword at his throat. I forced my expressionless mask to stay in place as I saw were my sisters where being kept. Wholes cut into the ground with a stone floor and a metal cage door had been their prisons, my anger for those who had put them here flared red hot.

"I cannot," The monk finally stuttered out.

"Cannot or won't," I snapped, pushing the blade flat against the skin of his throat.

"It is the will of god that these people be kept here," He once again stuttered out.

"Would your god really condone that the family of the Lord of these lands send his family to rot here while he places the blame on innocents? I'll answer for you, no! Now I give you one last chance, unlock those doors or meet your maker sooner than you planned."

"I have no key," The monk whispered quietly.

"Then I am sorry," Raising my sword I swung it, quickly killing the monk where he stood with one blow. Moving swiftly I raised my sword again, hitting the looks of the cage doors until they gave way, the metal clanging loudly as it hit the stone floor.

"Alex," Carrie gasped as she crawled from the floor, wrapping her arms tightly around me as soon as she stood, "How?"

"I'll explain later I promise you," I said, holding tight to Carrie for a short time. "Firstly you need to get the rest of them out of that hole, the family of Marcus as well." Untangling myself from her, I moved across the small room, stepping around the monk's corpse as I made my way over to the other cell. Lowering myself until I was on one knee, I looked into the cell onto to be met by a pair of blank eyes staring back at me, streaks of blue still clear on their owners pale face. Untying the talisman that I had secured around my wrist I held it at the level of her eyes, "Do you know this?"

"Merlin," The woman's voice answered weakly. At her answer I stood, repeating my previous actions until the cage doors of her cell clanged to the floor.

"What are you doing?" Carrie asked, as she watched me help the woman crawl from her cell.

"She's going to lead you to some people who are going to help you clean up and take you back to Hadrian's Wall," I answered unable to look at her.

"You're not coming with us are you?" The small voice of Tania spoke.

"What?" An outraged gasp left Carrie.

"I can't, I still have work to do here." I justified.

"Freeing the men," Sarah guessed, I didn't miss how she held tight to her waist; a pang of guilt went through me at the sight.

"We're helping you," Carrie growled at me.

"No you aren't," At my words Carrie's face started to change a dark shade of red but before her anger could be let loose I cut her off. "You're injured what use are you to me? How could you possibly help me? Where would we hide you? The only way to get into Marcus's villa is through a tunnel passage way, Tanis wouldn't even survive the fall into it by the way she's clinging to her ribs."

"We can't just run," Carrie continued her anger had left her though.

"You can keep yourselves alive," I said gently. "This woman is going to take you to Merlin, he's promised your safety to Hadrian's Wall, go with her, I'll follow shortly with the men."

"Why should we trust her," It surprised me that it was Beth who asked the question.

"Because I trust her leader, and Merlin has given me his word." The nods I received were ones of agreement and defeat, I took them anyway. "We need to leave here now, when you reach the top of those stairs, the forest will be to your left, run to the forest and don't look back, understand?" No one questioned me so I continued turning to the woman I had helped stand moments ago, "Your name?"

"Guinevere," Her small voice answered.

"Guinevere, you take these woman to Merlin, you don't lose them in the forest, you don't run from them, you take them straight to Merlin," Pausing I tied the talisman Merlin had given me around her thin neck. "Protect them, or no power on this earth will stop me from destroying you." Her wide eyes showed her fear at my words, but the determination in them and the nod she gave me, gave me hope. "It's time to go," I order, pausing only long enough to share brief looks with the only people I truly saw as my family. I watched silently from my spot in the shadow of the stone hut as my sisters and Guinevere disappeared from site and into the dark forest, only then did I start my long journey back into Marcus's villa.

**You know the drill, review and let me know what you think :D xo**


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23 – Tristan's POV

The sound of metal being struck against metal was the sound that woke me from my sleep, growling at the sound I refused to open my eyes favouring instead to throw my arm across them, hoping in vain to block everything out.

"What the bloody hell was that for?" I heard Bors deep voice snap at what I guessed was the guard who had rudely woke us all up.

"Lord Marcus wishes to see all of you presently," The guard answered, his nasally voice hurting my ears even though I was at the opposite side of the cell from where he stood.

"Tell him to fuck off its still dark outside," Lancelot cried out in fake frustration, a chuckle escaped me as a result of his boyish actions.

"You can tell that to him yourself when you're standing in front of him," As the guard spoke I heard the clanking of keys as the guard started to open our cell. Forcing myself up from my lying position into a seated position took a lot of effort, the movement caused another groan to escape me as the whip marks on my back were still tender, the stretching causing them to pull.

"Why does he need to see us?" Arthur's voice questioned, _always looking for answers, _my mind groused. Mine and Arthurs relationship was a sore subject and seeing as neither one of us had spoke about it since it happened yesterday, it looked like it would be staying that way, _joy. _

"I'm just the messenger, you really think he shares everything with me," The guards answered with a snort, the honesty in his words was probably the only reason Arthur didn't question him further. "You are to meet Lord Marcus in the banquet room, and that's all I know," At his words the door to our cell finally opened, allowing all of us to file out.

"What do you think this is going to be about?" I heard Galahad whisper to Gawain in front of me.

"Whatever it's about, I don't think its going to show us in a good light," Gawain answered Galahad in a defeated mutter.

"Shut up," The guard called, silencing Galahad's questioning. "Move," His order was clear and unchallenged by us as we followed him out of the dungeons and up the stone staircase that lead to the main rooms of Marcus's villa.

"Enter!" The arrogant voice of Marcus called as the guard knocked his fist against the solid oat doors that lead into the banquet room. As we all entered the room my eyes darted past all the ornate furniture, the yards of hanging fabric and the other people in the room until they landed on Alex, a sigh of relief left me before I could caught it when I saw her. "Friends," Marcus called once again, this time getting the attention of his guests, "Over the years we have been blighted by these pests, dogs only good for chasing blood." At his words I could feel my lip curling up into a snarl, but a sharp elbow to my ribs had my expression falling back into an expressionless mask. "The Sarmatian _soldiers _have been my captives for some time, yet they did something very reckless last night, something that has resulted in me loosing favour in them and you know what you do when a dog becomes useless." The room burst into conceited laughter at his words, the true face of Rome showing. "As our entertainment tonight I thought I'd let these dogs eat their last meals with us, and then they will be removed and dealt with."

"No!" _Alex._

"My dear Clodia, you are too kind to think you can save these men." Marcus disregarded her with a chuckle.

"That's not what I meant at all my Lord," She said soothingly, "Instead of just removing them, would a public execution not be more appropriate seeing as these men are soldiers, execution by public agreement is only right," The further Alex explained herself the more and more ashen her face looked. The urge I had to go to her and comfort her was so strong that it physically hurt me not to go to her.

"Ah! A public execution, Clodia you are my star," At Marcus's complementary words Alex looked anything but pleased with herself, instead she looked ill.

"Marcus," The sound of Arthur's voice had Marcus's smile slipping, "May I inquire as to why we are being sentenced to death without trial?"

"Your women, they're missing." Marcus's answer silenced Arthur but the angry retorts and snarls from my brothers made up for it. "Don't bark at me, I warned you, if you did anything with them you'd pay for your actions," Marcus paused in his little speech to drink deeply from his goblet, _probably trying to impress his friends_, I thought critically, _pity he's failing_. "They disappeared so I decided to make you disappear and the quickest way to do that is by killing you."

"You couldn't just settle for locking us up in a cell, and throwing away the key could you?" Lancelot said with a sarcastic smile.

"Your last meal awaits you," Marcus said with a flourish of his arms. It was only then did I notice the table laid out in front of us, piled high just like the rest of the table in the room, my stomach choose that moment to go into revolt.

"What does Alex think she's playing at?" Bors growled lowly as we all sat around the table, making sure that Marcus never heard him.

"She's giving us time," I snapped back at him, glaring at him while I spoke.

"Then what the hell is she planning, because I'd like to know what is actually happening for once!" Galahad whispered harshly, but the pup backed down when he saw the glare I threw his way.

"Calm down the lot of you," Arthur said tiredly, "Eat something, you'll need it."

"What are you talking about Arthur?" Lancelot asked obvious confusion on his face.

"Marcus is being rash, he doesn't know where the women are and he doesn't know how we managed to escape from a permanently guarded cell to do it. He's scared," Arthur's simple statement had our small table falling silent. "His rashness is driving him to get rid of the one thing he truly doesn't understand."

"Us," I stated, allowing those who couldn't understand Arthur's cryptic words to catch up with the conversation.

"Quite," Arthur said with a nod, "And the only way he see's to get rid of us, is to kill us."

"What do we do with the time Alex has given us?" Galahad asked, my brothers nodding their agreement at the question.

"We wait," As Arthur spoke he never looked at any of them, choosing instead to push the food in front of him around his plate.

"What!" Lancelot hissed out in a mixture of shock and rage, "We can just wait. We'll be like sitting ducks come morning!"

"We can't run," I growled lowly at Lancelot, coming to Arthurs defence. "We run and they'll chase us like the dogs they see us to be. We have to wait and see how Alex's plays this out."

"Alex! I know you're in lov' with the lass and all, but Tris' how can you be so sure she'll get us out before we meet the executioner?" Bors words set red fury flooding through my body and it took all the control I had built up over the years to stop myself from diving over the table to kill him.

"We wait, all of us." Dagonet's rough voice halted all argument. He had spoken rarely since our capture, yet he seemed the calmest and the most accepting of everything.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24 – Tristan's POV

"We've waited all night, those guards will be coming through those doors soon they can dress us up for our public execution." Galahad said calmly as he toyed with a piece of loose flint on his tunic, "Anyone else thinking Alex has no idea what she's doing?"

"Pup, shut it!" Lancelot snapped as my glare bored holes into the lads head, he was not helping any of us with is pessimistic act.

"You keep seeing the worst in this island and now those who of our same blood boy," Bors growled. He had been one of the most supportive of my idea to wait, bar Dagonet of course, their trust in Alex shocked me but it was something I didn't have the time or energy to dwell too much on.

"I want to go home! Alex hasn't come through for us, what the hell am I meant to focus on? My fast approaching death," As Galahad prattled on about his woes I watched as the two young guards slowly pulled open the doors to the dungeons, flinching inwardly as I saw who was with them.

"I see your spirits haven't dwindled then," Marcus's festering chuckle rang out, one of the guards stopped momentarily to pick up a large wicker basket. "You're new clothes for the special occasion," Marcus spoke warmly as he gestured to the basket in the guards hand yet there was no love for us in his countenance.

"We asked for no clothes," Arthur spoke, stepping forwards from the shadows of our cell. "Why do we need them when all we shall do is rot in them?"

"Because knight, they are a gift from me." Alex's voice floated through the dungeons as she stepped down to stand beside Marcus, the bile rose in my throat at the site of them so close, the thought of him touching her skin still sickening me. "Even those destined for death must be allowed the some respect, no matter what some people believe," The quick smirk on her lips told me exactly whose beliefs she was describing.

"My Lady," Arthur spoke slowly no doubt confused as how to follow. "You have my apologies."

"Accepted, now accept these clothes from me, this simple offering for those destined for more." The meaning was so far hidden in her words I myself, sharp minded as I was meant to be nearly missed it. "Guard open the cell, let me hand them out."

"Alex, your soul is too kind to these dogs," Marcus drawled his boredom evident.

"Even dogs deserve scraps my Lord," The quit retort had Alex cringing at her own words. "I'm sorry my Lord," She quickly squeaked and bowed to him, the site of it had me turning away so as not to succumb to my rage. She should never bow to anyone, she was not a servant to scurry and please Marcus. As a knight she demanded respect and as my equal she deserved to be avenged, but that would have to wait, but it would come.

"Be quick about your business pet and then come to me," Marcus ordered her, grabbing Alex's pale face between his portly hands and squeezing her flesh until whatever colour was there drained.

"Yes my Lord," She answered humbly, sinking low to her knees and waiting till he shoved her face away from him and stormed out of the dungeons with a flurry of greed soaked robes.

"My lady," A guard asked gently when Alex didn't rise as soon as Marcus had left. I watched curious as Alex reached out her hand to the guard, grasping hard to his forearm as he offered her himself as an aid to her standing.

"What's wrong with you?" It was Galahad who spoke, the rest of us remembering the charade we played.

"When one is the masters pet, you aren't always paid in fine dresses and pretty, shiny jewels." The guard spoke as Alex fidgeted with the items in the wicker basket the other guard held.

"Enough," Alex sounded confident as ever but once she turned it was evident her mask was firmly in place. "There will be no more talk about how Marcus acts towards those when in private, open the cell doors." The guard who had helped Alex to stand nodded in acceptance of his order and went about his task. Signalling the guard with the wicker basket to follow, Alex walked into the centre of our cell. As she lifted the first bundle she went towards Arthur, following the chain of command however faint it was out of respect. "These simple bundles will aid you with today's event, you have my word." She worked quickly and diligently giving the small bundles out. When Alex handed me my buddle a spark past as our fingers touched briefly, but it was my surprise at the weight hidden within the buddle that had me hiding a surprised reaction rather than the spark.

"Thank you," Gawain spoke, flicking his main of hair out of his eyes.

"Don't finish that thought yet knight, the day has just begun." With that Alex swept out of the cell not stopping to look back as she left the dungeons, her two guards fast on her heals. There was only silence after they had gone, no one willing to tint the hope of freedom that had just been handed to us.

"Looks like you were wrong pup," Lancelot chuckled as he started to undo the bundle in front of him.

"My apology will be made when we reach Hadrian's Wall," He snapped back as he followed suit.

"Knights," Arthur's voice rose above them, "Focus at what is at hand." He looked down at his lap, for Alex had done as she said, given us new clean clothes but she had also managed to secure within them daggers for all of us. There was a small piece of parchment in the centre of Arthur's bundle though.

"What does it say?" I asked worried as to what the boundaries Alex would go to in order for us to escape.

"Look to the right," He mumbled as he twisted it to see the words clearing in the dim torch glow that we sat in.

"Is that it, 'cause I hate to mention it but if I look right all I see is the edge of our cell." Bors spoke in blunt honesty.

"I don't think she means now," Dagonet said in a composed manner, "In order to go with the daggers," He suggested with a shrug as questioning looks were thrown in his direction from us all.

"So what's the plan then?" Lancelot questioned as he pulled of his dirty and bloody tunic, always one for looking his most attractive.

"We change and hide the dangers," Arthur answered simply. "We a have to go on faith from here, Alex can only pull one more stunt like this," He spoke as he motioned to the items sitting in his lap.

"How do you figure?" Gawain asked as he followed Lancelot's example of changing.

"If she does anything else we lose the element of surprise and our chances of getting out of here dissipate." I answered for Arthur, knowing as I said the words that hope was forming within me, something I rarely allowed myself to relish in.

"And we risk the chance of Marcus finishing with Alex for good," Arthur added, causing my small moment of hope to be squashed instantly.

"Finished," The pup pushed for a more clear answer.

"He'll killer her," Someone aided in the clearing up of the boys confusion but I ignored who answered. The thought of Alex dying to save me was an image I had never let my mind conjure up while in this hell. The pain that pulsed through my chest caused me to rip my shirt from my back fearing it might suffocate me. Alex's blood on my hands was something that I could not let happen, blood was already there but hers would glow to brightly with my guilt at not being able to protect her like I should, to save her and give her the life she deserved like I should.


End file.
